Euthanasia: A Death with Dignity
Introduction
Imagine being a patient in a doctor’s office receiving the diagnosis of a rare cancer or a terminal disease that ultimately could entail suffering daily and may end in death. A copious amount of questions might begin to process. Questions like: what happens from here, what symptoms will be encountered, what medications might be taken, how many and how often, how many test will be done, how many pokes and prods will happen, what treatment includes and most important, what might the quality of life become. These are all things people will a terminal illness or disease encounter on a daily basis. Symptoms may include: “pain, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, delirium and dyspnea” (Ross and Alexander 807.) all making the quality of life low.
Background
Euthanasia is the practice of ending a human life with that person’s consent through a specific act, or by withholding …show more content…
Over time statutes may give way to a broader and less strict law that provides those with non-terminal disabilities an excuse to end their life. Another argument that may come into play is that the patient’s voluntary and informed consent may never be certain because most individuals who want to die are under pressure. Others opposing euthanasia believe that when continued medical care to cure an illness or disease have failed, hospice should come into play. This creates time that all efforts should be made to make the patient’s remaining time as comfortable as possible. Thus, all interventions and treatments should be aimed at alleviating the patient’s pain and other symptoms. Hospice provides emotional and spiritual support not only to the patient but also to the patient’s family. With that being said people believe that hospice over euthanasia gives the patient much needed final time with the
Introduction
Imagine being a patient in a doctor’s office receiving the diagnosis of a rare cancer or a terminal disease that ultimately could entail suffering daily and may end in death. A copious amount of questions might begin to process. Questions like: what happens from here, what symptoms will be encountered, what medications might be taken, how many and how often, how many test will be done, how many pokes and prods will happen, what treatment includes and most important, what might the quality of life become. These are all things people will a terminal illness or disease encounter on a daily basis. Symptoms may include: “pain, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, delirium and dyspnea” (Ross and Alexander 807.) all making the quality of life low.
Background
Euthanasia is the practice of ending a human life with that person’s consent through a specific act, or by withholding …show more content…
Over time statutes may give way to a broader and less strict law that provides those with non-terminal disabilities an excuse to end their life. Another argument that may come into play is that the patient’s voluntary and informed consent may never be certain because most individuals who want to die are under pressure. Others opposing euthanasia believe that when continued medical care to cure an illness or disease have failed, hospice should come into play. This creates time that all efforts should be made to make the patient’s remaining time as comfortable as possible. Thus, all interventions and treatments should be aimed at alleviating the patient’s pain and other symptoms. Hospice provides emotional and spiritual support not only to the patient but also to the patient’s family. With that being said people believe that hospice over euthanasia gives the patient much needed final time with the