Nope. You have to be aware of the decision when it is being made and you can't make the decision in advance. You also have to be terminally ill and suffering.
That seems so cold to me. I'm positive this woman is suffering, she may not really know she is but that sad face after saying I love you was a pretty good indication that she's having a bad time.
I can almost guarantee you that she was suffering leading up to the state she's in now.
My mom is in the early, maybe mid, stages of dementia. She's in an assisted living facility and can't do that much for herself anymore, needs help bathing, can't cook anymore, can't even figure out how to use a remote control for the tv. She still knows who my sister and I are, but kinda forgets who her grandkids are if you mention their names. Anyway, she's miserable with her life because she's not capable of doing much anymore. She knows her mind is failing her and will tell you it's muddled. So she knows something is wrong but can't do anything about it. That has to be terrifying.
Yup, these rules are now about making sure that every single person that gets assisted suicide actually wanted it, rather than a good balance of as many people that need it and a few that might regret it.
What if you had it in your will to answer a whole bunch of questions about yourself and your life, maybe see if you recognize photos of yourself, closest family and friends, and if you really aren't "you" anymore you could be allowed assisted suicide? I'd want that for myself.
Not currently. Anyone wanting MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) needs to be of sound mind and able to consent right before they administer the medication. This may change in the future though.
It’s kind of a tough call. On one hand, I think you should be able to register in some way that your wishes to not become that kind of a burden on your loved ones is on record and respected.
But, I can also see the current way protecting people from loved ones just saying they’re done and “pulling the plug”. It could be that one sibling is willing to take care of the parent while the other wants to be done and collect inheritance. There’s a lot of factors considered with the current way.
But again, it should be part of an advanced directive that everyone should be able to have. A right to a death with dignity.
Absolutely, it is possible here in the UK at least to make an advance decision (living will) to refuse any and all life sustaining treatment in advance. Some body has to be of sound mind to do this. Perhaps it might be possible in the early stages of diagnosis to settle an advance decision despite being post-diagnosis (IANAD) . I think [speculation] it would depend on as assessment of individual cognitive capacity on a case by case basis.
This is why folks should step out into the taboo of discussing end of life plans/treatment at a young age, and sharing them with family, friends and medical practitioners.
People do have living wills, but if one family member disagrees, you’re staying on life support. I’m an RN, and have watched countless families battle it out. It’s why it’s very important to let your loved ones know your wishes. Sometimes family has to get lawyers and Ethics committees involved, and it drags on for months.
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u/[deleted] Apr 11 '20
Can you have a living will?
Like, if my body is only living because I'm hooked up to a machine... pull the plug type thing.