End Of Kife Care KU And A Flashcards
Mark Blackwell who suffers from Parkinsons’ Disease is in support of the Care not Killing organisation that is not supportive of assisted dying. He said ‘If assisted dying is legalised, it would make me feel that my life and my suffering are a waste of time. It would make me feel I am a burden for [my wife] and my children; ‘
An impact of this is that for him, the moral issue of the pressure to die by changing the law is very real and not to be overlooked.
The Church of Scotland have similarly stated that “ The situation must never arise where the terminally-ill or the very elderly feel pressured by society to end their lives.”
This shows that many Christians share the belief that those who are vulnerable in society should be protected and treated with compassion, not made to feel like a burden or a drain on resources.
For some, the current law means that ill and vulnerable people are protected and the value of life is maintained.
This means that this country takes care of its sick and does not end their life prematurely. It would also mean the sanctity of life is upheld. For others it means that their autonomy and dignity is compromised and their quality of life is ignored.
Keeping the UK laws as they are or indeed changing them would impact millions of people. No change would result in many people only having the option for palliative care no matter their quality of life or illness in their final months. For many this is perfectly adequate but not for all such as Richard Selley or Tony Nichlinson.
For them, the current law means that they are not permitted the right to die at a time of their choosing without pain, fear or loss of dignity.
For them, the current law means that they are not permitted the right to die at a time of their choosing without pain, fear or loss of dignity.
An impact of this is that people for whom palliative care are not enough to make their death comfortable, and who would rather it on their own terms, especially people with illnesses preventing a humane death they would have access to a much more dignified end of life experience and would be spared a lot of pain and suffering, and as would their family and friends most likely.
Doctors today still swear by The Hippocratic Oath. Arguably certain lines could be interpreted to be anti euthanasia. “ I will use treatment to help the sick according to by ability and judgement, but never with a view to injury or wrongdoing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, not will I suggest such a course’
The impact of this is that some would feel it clearly prevents the giving of medicine to incur death. Others may argue that to help the sick, assisting them to die painlessly is the best course of action. If double effect is permitted though, why not assisted dying?
One issue with legalising assisted dying is to do with consent .
This means that it can be questioned as to how true and informed the patients’ consent is if someone is in this extreme amount of pain. How can we be sure that their consent is valid if they are also suffering from depression for instance? This leads to questions regarding the safeguards and how effective they will be if we changed the law in the UK to prevent abuse of the system
Palliative care is specialised medical care provided to people with a serious medical condition or illness. It is focused on providing relief for the pain of the symptoms and focused on improving quality of life.
An impact of palliative care is that it is extremely flexible so can be received at home, in hospital or in specialised centres.
The first hospice was founded by Dame Cicely Saunders who stated “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.
An impact of this is it shows how her views are rooted in the Christian principles of sanctity of life and protection of the vulnerable. A further impact of this is it shows palliative care ensures the patient feels cared for and respected. This end-of-life care helps to reduce the pain of suffering and although it is helpful for some, others still prefer assisted dying or euthanasia.
The Suicide Act 1961 states that it is a criminal offence for a third party to assist or encourage another to commit suicide with a penalty of up to 14 years in jail as a severe deterrent, although Orkney MSP Liam McArthur is campaigning to legalise it in Scotland.
An impact of this is that currently no individual can help someone die even if the person requests it.
Mark Blackwell who suffers from Parkinson’s disease is in support of the care not killing organisation that does not support assisted dying. He stated “If assisted dying is legalised, it would make me feel that my life and suffering are a waste of time. It would make me feel that I am a burden for [my wife] and my children.
An impact of this is that he feels that by legalising assisted dying he would feel like a burden and feel more pressure to choose to die so that he eases the lives of the others taking care of him.
The Church of Scotland (CoS) takes a similar stance. They stated, “The situation must never arise where the terminally ill or the very elderly feel pressured by society to end their lives.”
An impact of this is many Christians share the belief that we should treat the vulnerable with compassion and that assisted dying being legalised would make them feel like a burden to others around them.
