Euthanasia need to be considered in UK?

[Stu999]

What happens if someone fakes a signature to their consent, unless another new way of doing consenting comes about as proof.

It will 100% be abused.

That's not how it would work It would be fairly easy to have a non-abusable system. Have the hospital doctor / GP agree it as an option then have an independent doctor (or even two) from another hospital or even an independent body for this purpose sign it off. It's not as hard as the naysayers say.

Sorry to hear about your Mum OP. MPs have been debating it again recently (https://committees.parliament.uk/co... the,be learnt from international experiences.) but every time it's been voted on in Parliament it gets denied.

My own view is that it should definitely be available, I wouldn't want to have something that leads to me being unable to care for myself like dementia.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Yes 100%

What happens if someone fakes a signature to their consent, unless another new way of doing consenting comes about as proof.

It will 100% be abused.

It would work similar to how we make decisions at the hospital now when somebody doesn't have capacity by multi professionals making a decision however in the case of euthenasia the patient will have capacity to consent in the first place and then the pro's step in.

 

[tonys]

Yes 100%



It would work similar to how we make decisions at the hospital now when somebody doesn't have capacity by multi professionals making a decision however in the case of euthenasia the patient will have capacity to consent in the first place and then the pro's step in.

Isn't it just the same type of implementation for both scenarios as some conditions can come on very quickly.
We also had the parents of that boy who the doctors said would not get any quality of life but they went to court.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Isn't it just the same type of implementation for both scenarios as some conditions can come on very quickly.
We also had the parents of that boy who the doctors said would not get any quality of life but they went to court.

Those parents were fighting for him to be kept on life support when multiple Clinicians agreed he was brain dead, it was completely pointless keeping him there for any longer in that state. I can understand the love of the parents but they should have also considered the state he was in.
So yes it was a multi disciplinary team who made that decision because a) the poor lad was basically dead and b) It was an important bed being taken up.
The same type of MDT would be used for euthenasia patients but to be honest I can't see it happening.

 

[Uther]

If I was gaga, demented and incompetent I may welcome the needle to oblivion

And I would like to make the decision before that point, if I was suffering with no hope of anything other than a lingering death.

 

[tonys]

I agree with the whole concept of both euthanasia and switching off of life support of brain dead patients. The whole mindset of society needs to be changed in order for it to become commonplace, we still have a way to go for organ donation and that's been going on for years.

 

[The Funktopus]

Watched my dad die from renal failure brought about by lymphoma in 2008. His kidney’s couldn’t scrub the carbon monoxide from his blood anymore due to the tumours, so he pretty much suffocated in front of me like a fish out of water, using the last of his strength to cry out from the pain and the fear, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to help him. I won’t go that way if get a diagnosis like my dad’s, and would rather not have to resort to taking a one-way trip to Switzerland like a friend of mine from my cadetship days did, so yes. In my opinion, assisted dying is definitely something we need to look at in this country.

 

[tonys]

Out of our parents,
The father-in-law died of a large duodenal ulcer which was undiagnosed however he had been diagnosed with the start of dementia so it was quick for him.
My father died at home due to lung cancer and old age but was still competent and again it was fairly quick.
The mother-in-law had vascular dementia for 7yrs and it was just a slow decline, not nice to watch.
My mother died of old age and pneumonia due to COPD. She died in hospital but it was fairly quick even though it seemed she would have been the first to go due to her ill health but was still competent.

 

[cheesefest]

There are some of my relatives - the only memories I have of them were being very ill.

My great aunt for example, had a brain tumour (inoperable) and she clinged on for another 2.5 years and she spent most of that asleep. The doctors drugged her to keep her alive.

How much money is spent on leaving people like that in the NHS?

 

[MikeTimbers]

I pray that if I'm ever terminal I can get access to something to get it over with. It would be nice for that to be legal.

 

[cheesefest]

Absolutely. Seeing relatives literally rotting in care homes is not good.

My Nanan, is one of the more alert people in her care home. She has severe macular, severe arthritis and dementia. She was unable to look after herself. Plus the carers that literally popped in four times a day, whilst living in her bungalow didn’t help her at all. She lost weight as the carers asked open questions to her about food “what do you want to eat?” She was confused and asked for nothing or a couple of biscuits. Dementia sufferers are better suited to closed questions. “Would you like a ham sandwich or cheese on toast?”. But carers aren’t allowed to ask these types of questions.

Most of the others in her care home, slumped in a high backed armchair or lying on their bed moaning being in pain, or those random noises that very elderly people make, is heartbreaking and distressing. Even seeing my Nanan in her room, you can hear these noises. I have no idea how she sleeps at night.

 

[tonys]

My Nanan, is one of the more alert people in her care home. She has severe macular, severe arthritis and dementia. She was unable to look after herself. Plus the carers that literally popped in four times a day, whilst living in her bungalow didn’t help her at all. She lost weight as the carers asked open questions to her about food “what do you want to eat?” She was confused and asked for nothing or a couple of biscuits. Dementia sufferers are better suited to closed questions. “Would you like a ham sandwich or cheese on toast?”. But carers aren’t allowed to ask these types of questions.

Most of the others in her care home, slumped in a high backed armchair or lying on their bed moaning being in pain, or those random noises that very elderly people make, is heartbreaking and distressing. Even seeing my Nanan in her room, you can hear these noises. I have no idea how she sleeps at night.

I can relate to the whole carer's and care home environment, even though the care that the mother-in-law received was very good, there was at times very little stimulus for her.

 

[Freddie1980]

I have to say this thread is a really depressing one.

I'm for assisted dying in principle, we live in a society where it's considered wrong to let your dog suffer in pain but if it's our parents or loved ones we have watch them suffer until they die? The only concern I would have is how we would stop such a practice from being abused by unscrupulous people or sociopaths.

 

[tonys]

I have to say this thread is a really depressing one.

I'm for assisted dying in principle, we live in a society where it's considered wrong to let your dog suffer in pain but if it's our parents or loved ones we have watch them suffer until they die? The only concern I would have is how we would stop such a practice from being abused by unscrupulous people or sociopaths.

This is why everyone who agrees with the principle has said about multiple checks to be inplace.

 

[Mr Badger]

My Nanan, is one of the more alert people in her care home. She has severe macular, severe arthritis and dementia. She was unable to look after herself. Plus the carers that literally popped in four times a day, whilst living in her bungalow didn’t help her at all. She lost weight as the carers asked open questions to her about food “what do you want to eat?” She was confused and asked for nothing or a couple of biscuits. Dementia sufferers are better suited to closed questions. “Would you like a ham sandwich or cheese on toast?”. But carers aren’t allowed to ask these types of questions.

Most of the others in her care home, slumped in a high backed armchair or lying on their bed moaning being in pain, or those random noises that very elderly people make, is heartbreaking and distressing. Even seeing my Nanan in her room, you can hear these noises. I have no idea how she sleeps at night.

I absolutely agree about the grim state of care homes, but live in care should be so much better. The carers clearly weren't good or being managed properly if they got away with that.

 

[Nevakonaza]

I do think it should be allowed within the UK for people with absolutely no hope of surviving an advanced illness and suffering in pain,Highly doubt it ever would be though too much red tape and lets be honest it would be private funded and most likely unafordable anyway to the majority of people,Christ a lot of people cannot afford funeral costs these days.

 

[smilertoo]

The countries that allowed it for "the most extreme cases" are now allowing it for people who are sad, it wasn't a slippery slope...it was a cliff edge.

 

[Tykey]

Afaik there's been no problems in countries where euthanasia is legal due to very strict legal and medical checks.

I'm in support of it. I've seen terminal disease 1st hand. Animals are allowed it. The banning/opposition of it in parliament comes mainly from out dated views held by religious mp's that human life is sacred and that the preservation of it is all important - i don't believe in god thanks, even if i did i like to think god would be compassionate enough to allow a person to end their suffering.

 

[Rroff]

I have very mixed feelings on this one.

We had a great aunt who twice came back from being at death's door with cancer despite the odds and the last time managed to have another 5 good years before it came back and got her a lot of people would probably have considered euthanasia the second time. Mercifully the 3rd time it was pretty quick and she was spared any pain.

I absolutely agree about the grim state of care homes, but live in care should be so much better. The carers clearly weren't good or being managed properly if they got away with that.

It is so hit and miss, my grandparents had some great carers who came to their home and some very poor ones. One of them even stuck with my grandad after my gran passed despite him in his old age becoming very abusive verbally and cussing her out undeservedly for the slightest thing if it wasn't to his satisfaction

The first care home he was in were brilliant, but after having to go into hospital for a bit the next one was not good, staff obviously didn't give a **** and almost certainly contributed to his death as a medical condition which contributed to him passing went without proper attention - albeit he likely wouldn't have lasted long. He missed my gran terribly at the end so I don't think he really wanted to live much longer either.

 

[squerble]

I agree with the whole concept of both euthanasia and switching off of life support of brain dead patients. The whole mindset of society needs to be changed in order for it to become commonplace, we still have a way to go for organ donation and that's been going on for years.

Organ donation is now opt-out in this country, I'm not sure what else we can do?

Otherwise, yes, I'm another strong proponent of euthanasia for terminally sick and end of life people. We're happy (in the vaguest sense of the word) to euthanise our pets to ease their suffering, I don't understand why we won't do the same for family and friends.