End-of-Life Choices and The Law Patients must with weigh the pros and cons of assisted dying when making an end-of-life decision. This is a personal valuation of how one wishes to spend their final days. The benefits of choosing end-of-life are patient autonomy, quality of life, and end of life costs. The pitfalls of end-of-life decisions, for patients with ALS, include not making decisions in time due the unpredictability of the disease, the patient’s value of quality of life may differ from their families, and their end-of-life decision may be illegal. Patient autonomy is a large factor for patient’s suffering with ALS. They want to be able to make decisions about their life and their disease. “For Gloria Taylor and her fellow plaintiffs
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When considering palliative care as an option, there is more to consider than just the patient. “Each individual’s needs should be viewed as a combination of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual components” (McCluskey, 2007, p.468) to enhance their quality of life. However, beyond the patient due consideration must be given to their caregivers. “The palliation of ALS begins with breaking the news and ends only at the end of life” (McCluskey, 2007, p.468). In addition to the clinician, the caregiver(s) play a large supportive …show more content…
Potentially life-shortening symptom relief: Treatment to ease pain has the effect of hastening death. This is often the case in palliative care.
3. Terminal sedation: Deep and continual sedation for pain that cannot be relieved through any other means.
4. Assisted suicide: Intentionally killing oneself with the assistance of another. Usually a physician provides a prescription for a lethal dose of medication.
5. Voluntary euthanasia: An act undertaken by one person to kill another person whose life is no longer worth living in the in accordance with the wishes of that person” (Schuklenk et al., 2011).
In addition to being informed about the options available for end of life, a patient must be aware of the laws in their country. “While the majority of countries throughout the world continue to regard assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia as criminal offences, a small but significant number of jurisdictions now accommodate assisted suicide and/or voluntary euthanasia” (Schuklenk et al., 2011, p.51). Over the years, attitudes towards euthanasia and assisted suicide have
When considering palliative care as an option, there is more to consider than just the patient. “Each individual’s needs should be viewed as a combination of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual components” (McCluskey, 2007, p.468) to enhance their quality of life. However, beyond the patient due consideration must be given to their caregivers. “The palliation of ALS begins with breaking the news and ends only at the end of life” (McCluskey, 2007, p.468). In addition to the clinician, the caregiver(s) play a large supportive …show more content…
Potentially life-shortening symptom relief: Treatment to ease pain has the effect of hastening death. This is often the case in palliative care.
3. Terminal sedation: Deep and continual sedation for pain that cannot be relieved through any other means.
4. Assisted suicide: Intentionally killing oneself with the assistance of another. Usually a physician provides a prescription for a lethal dose of medication.
5. Voluntary euthanasia: An act undertaken by one person to kill another person whose life is no longer worth living in the in accordance with the wishes of that person” (Schuklenk et al., 2011).
In addition to being informed about the options available for end of life, a patient must be aware of the laws in their country. “While the majority of countries throughout the world continue to regard assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia as criminal offences, a small but significant number of jurisdictions now accommodate assisted suicide and/or voluntary euthanasia” (Schuklenk et al., 2011, p.51). Over the years, attitudes towards euthanasia and assisted suicide have