Assisted death
I watched it, and the debate afterwards. Very thought provoking.
I have always felt strongly pro-the right to choose euthanasia, maybe because I have a lomng-term chronic (not terminal) health condition, and since knowing that Nan had AD as well as Mum I've been even more determined that if I get it too I will do the deed before it gets too late. There is no way I can put my family through again what we are living with now. Hopefully it will not be illegal, or put others at risk of prosecution by the time my time comes.
My Mum however has spent all her life very, vehemently, anti-euthansia, and I remind myself of that when she's very distressed and begs me to put an end to her terrible life. When she says this she doesn't really mean she wants to die, she wants what is happening to her to stop. It pains me that I can't do that for her, but comforts me that I might be able to do it for myself in the future! I'm grateful that deep down, I know that she would never have chosen euthanasia, assisted or otherwise, and it helps me stay chipper for and with her. It must be so much harder when caring for someone who would have chosen it if they could, especially with dementias because they rob people of their right mind and thus the rigth to choose, at least within our current legal framework.
The film left me feeling very uncomfortable about Dignitas, how sad that some folks have to resort to going there and cannot die as they wish at home. Those two men died too early I felt, because they had to go whilst their state of mind couldn't be doubted, and they could still physically participate. It left me thinking we really need to learn the lessons from Europe and put more resources into hospice care and into assisted death here. As one of the women said in the debate afterwards, we are a civilied country surely capable of putting systems in place that protect the vulnerable, surely it need not be so risky to the disabled as the other woman claimed? My Dad died in a hospice, with us with him, and it was ok, my Uncle did too. One of them would have chosen to go much sooner though if he could, and it was very hard not being able to help him as he wanted.
All in all I think we have to applaud Terry Pratchett, he is managing to spread the word about AD pretty well isn't he?
I watched it, and the debate afterwards. Very thought provoking.
I have always felt strongly pro-the right to choose euthanasia, maybe because I have a lomng-term chronic (not terminal) health condition, and since knowing that Nan had AD as well as Mum I've been even more determined that if I get it too I will do the deed before it gets too late. There is no way I can put my family through again what we are living with now. Hopefully it will not be illegal, or put others at risk of prosecution by the time my time comes.
My Mum however has spent all her life very, vehemently, anti-euthansia, and I remind myself of that when she's very distressed and begs me to put an end to her terrible life. When she says this she doesn't really mean she wants to die, she wants what is happening to her to stop. It pains me that I can't do that for her, but comforts me that I might be able to do it for myself in the future! I'm grateful that deep down, I know that she would never have chosen euthanasia, assisted or otherwise, and it helps me stay chipper for and with her. It must be so much harder when caring for someone who would have chosen it if they could, especially with dementias because they rob people of their right mind and thus the rigth to choose, at least within our current legal framework.
The film left me feeling very uncomfortable about Dignitas, how sad that some folks have to resort to going there and cannot die as they wish at home. Those two men died too early I felt, because they had to go whilst their state of mind couldn't be doubted, and they could still physically participate. It left me thinking we really need to learn the lessons from Europe and put more resources into hospice care and into assisted death here. As one of the women said in the debate afterwards, we are a civilied country surely capable of putting systems in place that protect the vulnerable, surely it need not be so risky to the disabled as the other woman claimed? My Dad died in a hospice, with us with him, and it was ok, my Uncle did too. One of them would have chosen to go much sooner though if he could, and it was very hard not being able to help him as he wanted.
All in all I think we have to applaud Terry Pratchett, he is managing to spread the word about AD pretty well isn't he?