Assisted suicide is done with the help of another person, which is usually done by a physician. The physician provides the medication and or other interventions of suicide to a patient who is capable of carrying out the chosen decision. Assisted suicide is used interchangeable with the term euthanasia. Euthanasia is ending a person’s life that is suffering from a terminal illness or incurable disease. How much pain does a person have to be in to be allowed to die, and who should be able to decide this? Should a person who is suffering be able to make a choice to end his or her own suffering with the help of a physician? Or should this be illegal. These are some of the questions that are asked when it comes to assisted suicide. Assisted
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Everyday understandings of suffering, the authors talked about patients who suffer, and how to deal with such suffering. The article talks about the legalization of euthanasia as well as assisted suicide as a means to avoid suffering in patients. The authors break apart the word suffer, and compare and contrast suffering in terms of both religion and modern day meaning. Throughout the article, the authors compared different patients that included the elderly, frail, those with disabilities, and the terminally ill. The patients that were studied were taken from an online forum that discussed the legalization on assisted suicide. The majority of people on theses forums felt that it was not right to let people suffer, and that their suffering should be ended if that was what they wanted 2. A small amount of people on these forums did not believe this and instead believed that suffering is part of life. The authors examine the Sue Rodriguez case. Sue Rodriguez was a patient who was diagnosed with ALS. In 1992 Sue Rodriguez battled the courts because she wanted to be granted permission to attempt physician-assisted suicide. In the end, the courts denied her …show more content…
Beneficence is acting in the best interest of the patient and doing the greatest good possible for them. Other options for the suffering patient should be considered before assisted suicide is an option. These options include providing home visits by volunteers, assisted living and nursing home options, hospice care and affordable housing for patients who are suffering. Monitoring patients, and helping them renew their sense of well being and purpose could also help. Emotional support from caregivers and families is also important to provide. Some patients are too ill to make decisions, so how do we know when they are in the right state of mind to make such a big decision such as assisted suicide? This is why evaluation and treatment for depression should also be done before considering assisted suicide. You don't want a patient to choose assisted suicide just because they are depressed. Altogether, it is important to provide the patient with as much comfort and support as possible. By making sure that they are in the right mind set as well as keeping them in a place where they are as comfortable as possible can be an alternative to assisted
Everyday understandings of suffering, the authors talked about patients who suffer, and how to deal with such suffering. The article talks about the legalization of euthanasia as well as assisted suicide as a means to avoid suffering in patients. The authors break apart the word suffer, and compare and contrast suffering in terms of both religion and modern day meaning. Throughout the article, the authors compared different patients that included the elderly, frail, those with disabilities, and the terminally ill. The patients that were studied were taken from an online forum that discussed the legalization on assisted suicide. The majority of people on theses forums felt that it was not right to let people suffer, and that their suffering should be ended if that was what they wanted 2. A small amount of people on these forums did not believe this and instead believed that suffering is part of life. The authors examine the Sue Rodriguez case. Sue Rodriguez was a patient who was diagnosed with ALS. In 1992 Sue Rodriguez battled the courts because she wanted to be granted permission to attempt physician-assisted suicide. In the end, the courts denied her …show more content…
Beneficence is acting in the best interest of the patient and doing the greatest good possible for them. Other options for the suffering patient should be considered before assisted suicide is an option. These options include providing home visits by volunteers, assisted living and nursing home options, hospice care and affordable housing for patients who are suffering. Monitoring patients, and helping them renew their sense of well being and purpose could also help. Emotional support from caregivers and families is also important to provide. Some patients are too ill to make decisions, so how do we know when they are in the right state of mind to make such a big decision such as assisted suicide? This is why evaluation and treatment for depression should also be done before considering assisted suicide. You don't want a patient to choose assisted suicide just because they are depressed. Altogether, it is important to provide the patient with as much comfort and support as possible. By making sure that they are in the right mind set as well as keeping them in a place where they are as comfortable as possible can be an alternative to assisted