A Project Proposal On Death With Dignity

According to the American Medical Association (1996), physician-assisted suicide (PAS) occurs when a physician facilitates a patient’s death by providing either the means or the information necessary to aid in the patient performing the life-ending act. PAS has had a long and controversial history dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They believed that there was no reason to prolong life if continued pain and suffering was the only prognosis. The term euthanasia, in fact, stems from the Greek meaning "a good death". It was not until Hippocrates and his Hippocratic Oath, cautioning against deadly medicine towards patients, that a different view was seen.

The selection I chose to read is entitled, “Death on Demand is Not Death with Dignity.” The author of this essay is Debra J. Saunders. This story is printed in San Francisco Chronicle, on pages 483-485. It is about assisted suicide is illegal in California however it is not legal in Organ.

Grant and Jefferson are on a journey. Though they have vastly different educational backgrounds, their commonality of being black men who have lost hope brings them together in the search for the meaning of their lives. In the 1940’s small Cajun town of Bayonne, Louisiana, blacks may have legally been emancipated, but they were still enslaved by the antebellum myth of the place of black people in society. Customs established during the years of slavery negated the laws meant to give black people equal rights and the chains of tradition prevailed leaving both Grant and Jefferson trapped in mental slavery in their communities.

left alone by their doctors when the suffering becomes unbearable and use of the law is requested. “The most significant impact of the death with dignity law in Oregon has been to improve the care for all dying patients, by increasing awareness among doctors, allowing an open and honest conversation, improving pain management and palliative care, and providing patients with a sense of control and peace of mind.” Doctors are being aware of the causes and the good tis law really is, it is highly improving so many things dealing with life and health. A patient who is suffering intolerably needs the assistance from someone who will be there to help them in their end of life decision.

As a social work undergraduate, we have several queries regarding why it is so important to follow the NASW code of Ethics and values that relate to human diversity, with regard for the worth and dignity of all persons, as applied to a specific case where we are delivering social work. It is very essential to recognize the five core values of social work, service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, and integrity and competence on our occupation of social work. Today, we have chosen two areas and situations of how we are going to deal with our biases and our challenges while working as social workers, by employing the NASW code of Ethics and values that relate to human diversity, with regard for the worth and dignity of all persons.

The Death With Dignity Act (DWDA) was passed in the state of Oregon on November 8, 1994, and allowed competent, terminally ill patients 18 years old or older and were also state residents to acquire a prescription of barbiturates from a doctor to end their own life when their anguish became intolerable.6 208 individuals died under the DWDA. 36% of patients who received the lethal prescription never took them.2 This insinuates that patients dealing with immense suffering from a terminal illness at least sought control over the situation.

As a student of social work, we are required to abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the NASW Code of Ethics. Within the context of the Code of Ethics, it is my desire to be fully immersed in the broad ethical principles based on social work’s core values of service, social justice, dignity, and worth of the person,

Brittany Maynard brought up a good argument when she said, “I would not tell anyone else that he or she should choose death with dignity. My question is: Who has the right to tell me that I don’t deserve this choice?” (Slotnik). Brittany Maynard was a young woman who found out she had a terminal brain cancer and ended up becoming the public face for the right to die act. Many people believe that this act should not be in place, but in taking this act away people lose their right to choose when they want to die. People may argue the fact that doctors have access the drug with assisted suicide is very unsettling; however, the doctors are professionals who are trusted with this drug. This act is important because it gives the terminally ill one last independent decision before they lose themselves. Taking away the act means taking their free will away from them.

The video “In Search of Common Ground: Remaking Public Policy on Human Life Issues” presents a multitude of ethical decisions faced by our society. The video describes issues surrounding capital punishment, abortion, genetic testing and assisted suicide. As described by Joseph Cardinal Bernadin, he states “each human life has a sacredness”. This is very similar to the social work value of respecting human dignity. As social workers, we believe that each individual person is to be treated with respect, dignity and self worth.

The preamble of the NASW Code of Ethics encapsulates every aspect of why I elected to become a member of the social work field. Notably, this introduction conceptualizes on the influences of ones’ environment, which distorts the ill notion of typical stereotypes and prejudices that surround vulnerable and oppressed individuals (National Association of Social Workers, 2017). The opportunity and the blessing to serve those who have been chronically oppressed, brings forth an indescribable notion of humility and gratefulness. Those within this elite field understand the impact of larger institutional forces and the practice of internalization (Miley, O’Melia, & DuBois, 2016). Therefore, when I analyze the underpinnings of the preamble, it solidifies that the social work profession is unlike any other profession.

When conducting a research study, it is important to do so ethically and competently. This is also important because as future social workers we must abide by the ethical principles in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW). Conducting ethical research pertains to respecting the inherent dignity and worth of a person. In the past, individuals have had their rights violated during research study’s. As a result, in 1974 there was legislation passed protecting the rights of all vulnerable individuals participating in study’s.

The first thing that is read and discussed in the University of New England’s Social Work program is the NASW, or the National Association of Social Workers’, Code of Ethics. I understand this code as a living document that is able to change as the issues that face our society change, but this code also defines a set of core values that are inherent to the worth and dignity of our chosen profession. Service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence are the six different issues that the NASW Code of Ethics addresses. Relational Cultural Theory, or RCT, also has a set of core values that parallel

The most important principle that can help to guide people who care for the dying and bereaved is care. Care for the dying and care for the families, this is not to undermine the empathy, support and understanding that is needed. “All social workers, regardless of practice settings, will inevitably work with clients facing acute or long-term situations involving life-limiting illness, dying, death, grief, and bereavement. Using their expertise in working with populations from varying cultures, ages, socioeconomic status, and nontraditional families, social workers help families across the life span in coping with trauma, suicide, and death, and must be prepared to assess such needs and intervene appropriately’ (Bailey, 2003-2004). This is true not only for Social workers in hospice’s, but home care nurses, funeral directors and anyone who cares for the dying and bereaved. The older adult facing the end of life has many decisions to make as well as their families. They may also have psychosocial, spiritual as well as physical issues that need to be addressed. In addition to requiring sensitivity to their culture and religion, perhaps financial decisions may need attention. Compassion, sensitivity, respect, communication, are a few of the principles that govern workers in this field. Political agendas and laws also have an impact on the dying and their families, decisions whether funding and education

Our everyday interactions are underpinned by ethics. Social work in its sectors deals with people in multiple and complex situations. Social workers largely work with people who are affected by different life aspects such as ethnicity, disabilities and culture. The fundamental concern for social work is to understand how these aspects affect the individuals. Applying normative ethical theory processes of ethical analysis

Social work research is often under the constraints of institutional systems, often, the very systems that oppress the people or communities being researched. Anti-oppressive research methods, begin by, according to Potts and Brown (2015), considering the various interest, power, relationships, and stakeholders in our research. In social work research, those stakeholders may include funders, government organizations, and nonprofits. Keeping the nonprofit industrial complex in mind, all of the listed systems are likely to influence the research and desired results regardless of the intentions of the researcher. This brings the up the importance of the researcher’s positionality, reflexivity, power and the methods they choose to use. I try to be critical of social work research, specifically, my praxis because I did not learn about any of the methods and practices below in our social work research course. An additional reason to be critical of social work research is because [we] are also involved in advocacy and policy development