What Is The Difference Between Euthanasia And Assisted Death?

You 're lying in a hospital bed. Your body motionless due to the heavy pain medication, you 've been like this for what seems like forever. The only people that come to see you anymore are the nurses that take care of your body. Are you even alive anymore? Surprisingly enough this is how some terminally ill patients spend their final days. California Medical Association board concludes that “despite the remarkable medical breakthroughs we’ve made and the world-class hospice or palliative care we can provide, it isn’t always enough”. After all treatments have tried and failed; what is left? In many states there is no other option; you are left to ride it out until the end of your life. At this time, four states in America have passed a law allowing a physician to administer you a medication that will allow you to be able to decide when and where they would like to pass. The Death with Dignity Act legalized in all states will ensure all suitable patients a peaceful death.
There is a difference between euthanasia and assisted death, although, many use the terms interchangeably. The main difference is who administers the lethal dose to end a …show more content…
“Evidence shows that these conversations are far more likely to reassure a dying person rather than to direct them toward making a request for medical aid in dying” (Jackson). As well as the main requirement of being terminally ill, each state also requires that a patient make three separate requests for assisted death, two oral requests and one written. Each oral request must be at least fifteen days apart. This ensures a patient with enough anticipation to be sure the request is the right decision for themselves. Additionally, physicians are required to reiterate the option of palliative and hospice care. As stated previously, palliative and hospice care can be useful options for patients in less extreme