The End Of Life Options

A person’s life can end at any age. They can depart quickly or slowly. End of life care, also known as palliative care, is the care of patients that are not only in their final hours or days but the patients with a terminal illness that has become incurable. End of life care takes into mind what the patient desires so it is recommended that they consider an advanced care plan also known as an advance directive and living will. These documents allow the patient to formulate decisions on the future of their care if, at any point, they cannot vocally express themselves.

Every day in the United States 1,500 people are diagnosed with a terminal illness. These people are given few options when determining if the wish to try treatment and if treatment does not work, how to deal with the end of their lives. (author unknown, “Cancer”) With this horrible future ahead of them many may wish to make amends before it’s too late, however, an increasing number of people are seeking an alternate solution. In states such as Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana and soon California a relatively new, legal option is available for people with terminal illnesses. The states of Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and Montana created a law which allows people with a terminal illness and less than six months that are mentally healthy seek professional medical help that will end their lives (Humphrey, Derek) . This topic has created heated debates across the United States with each side have clear and defined reason as to why or why not this controversial law should be processed for the whole country. The people who defend the law believe that people who are losing their lives should be able to leave this world on their own terms, and with the help of physicians they can go in a painless and mess-free way. Supporters also believe that by not wanting to the end it can help save patients, doctors, and insurance time and money that could be better spent on patients who may have options and may not be able to reach them without

The beginning of life is celebrated. Books and resources are shared among friends and family in preparation for becoming a new parent. So, what happens as one approaches the end of life? Unfortunately, the same care and sharing rarely occurs in those circumstances and many face the prospect of dying unprepared. Though most people state they would prefer to die at home, this is often not where death occurs. Many Americans spend their last days attached to medical apparatus that keeps the body alive, but it does not allow for communication with family and often requires heavy sedation. Additionally, this level of treatment comes at a high price. As a society, we must become as comfortable in addressing the end of life process as we

The patient is experiencing a major illness or disease within their body. All patients who qualify for this act are terminally ill and have six months or less to live. They have exhausted all treatment options or are opting to forgo treatment in favor of quality and not quantity of life. The medications administered to facilitate dying cause CNS depression which lowers the heart rate and respirations and increases drowsiness causing sedation and then ultimately death.

Great strides have been made to improve end-of-life care through palliative care and hospice programs, but sometimes that’s just not enough. In America, the care that is offered to the elderly and the chronically ill is less than ideal. Statistics show that an

Since all diseases are not curable, a lot of people are living in severe pain that is unbearable. Assisted suicide, also known as mercy killing, is the act of bringing the death of a hopelessly ill and suffering person in a relatively quick and painless way. Indeed, it is one of the effective solutions for people who are suffering in pain from terminal illness and especially for children who are not able to choose for their own lives. Even though assisted suicide is not legalized globally, there are few countries and six states in America including Washington State that allow such action. Many people are still against an assisted suicide system. However, since America is the country of freedom, people should have choices

Many Americans are diagnosed with a terminal illness each day. Hearing that kind of news and knowing there is less than a year left to live and the quality of life would no doubt be heartbreaking. During the last few months of a terminal patient’s life they are often in tremendous pain and suffering. Those with terminal illnesses are treated with life prolonging measures including chemotherapy and radiation. These treatments and the illness itself often leave the patient 's feeling as if they are a shell of who they were and miserable. “Numerous ailments such as certain types of cancer result in a slow, agonizing death” (Messerli, Joe). Physician Assisted Suicide allows

Death is one of the most significant life events people experience. Most people want to die a peaceful death and desire the same outcome for their family and friends. Medical advancements have resulted in people living longer lives with chronic illnesses. Despite the advancements in medicine and the available treatments of today, sometimes the patient is still unable to escape intolerable suffering; the patient’s quality of life diminishes.

Hippocrates said it best when he stated that “wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.” Throughout history, the purpose of practicing medicine was to alleviate ailments, treat diseases, and cure illnesses. Palliative care is a field of medicine that focuses on treating patients with advanced, often untreatable illnesses. As such, palliative care is designed to relieve pain and maintain a good quality of life for patients nearing the end of their lives. There are treatments available that provide pain suppression for the comfortability of the patient. However, there are illnesses that do more than just causing pain. Terminal illnesses such as Huntington’s disease can cause one to lose control of their body and ultimately the loss of personal autonomy. Often times, patients reach a vegetative state, which is a loss of all cognitive functions. Loss of autonomy has a detrimental effect on quality of life, and that is why there is an option for physician assisted suicide (PAS). Physician assisted suicide involves the physician writing a prescription for medication in which the patient takes with the purpose of overdosing (Dees et al). Currently, PAS is legal in Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont (Death with Dignity). PAS allows for patients with terminal illnesses to choose when they want to pass. As such, PAS is referred to as the Death with Dignity Act (Death with Dignity), because it allows the patients to demonstrate their

A retired social worker, Smith, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 86. He said that he has no regrets but worries about the pain. "Death itself is not a fearful consideration for me," he said. "But the process of dying could be if it were extremely uncomfortable." He is in no haste to die but expects that he will feel severe pain when the cancer reaches its final phases and when it happens; he would want his doctor to be able to prescribe him with a toxic dose of medication that he can use to end his life

We have to learn to balance the spectrum for the quality and quantity of life. Next, we have to discuss the biblical, theological, and cultural perspectives on end of life issues. Then, we will view potential impact on afterlife outcomes. Also, we will discuss variables involved in potential life trajectories. Finally, we will discuss challenges of integrated personal preferences and public policy in end of life standards and

Recently, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of terminally-ill patients suffering from the incurable diseases such as Cancer, AIDS and dreadful neurological disorders like MND, etc. Inventions in the medical and science field have found ways to prolong their death by medicines, sedatives and artificial respiration, etc. However, keeping them alive burdens economy, medical resources, finance and psychological state of the patient, his family and ultimately the society (Virik, Glare & Jones et al 2003). Hence, the decision for life of terminally-ill is the most critical issue of present times debated in the field of medicine. Though only a few nations permit Euthanasia and Physician-assisted suicide to fasten death, the problem remains persistent. Our paper discusses the issue whether the terminally-ill Patients should be allowed to hasten their impending death by the means like cutting-off the ventilator, usage of sedatives, Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, etc. to make them free from pain and suffering or they should be kept alive in a hope of their recovery in the future.

(Schapira, 2010) It is important for patients to have all the facts in order to accept and prepare for death. Another area not always communicated well has to do with advance care planning. Many patients do not learn about options or talk about end of life issues until it is very late. Studies have shown that younger doctors are more likely to initiate conversations about end of life care options. (Pahwa, Babu & Bhatnagar, 2005)

For most people, adulthood means making one’s own choices throughout life. In this, a person makes choices about their standard of living, their line of work, and the people they surround themselves with. In the same way one may arrange their lives to suit their needs, one must be able to also arrange their death to suit their needs to the fullest extent possible. For the terminally ill, death is a promise soon to be delivered on. The best thing we can do as a society to help those who are on borrowed time is to allow them the choice of a peaceful, merciful death. When we take the waiting and suffering out of the equation for the terminally ill, we will progress as a society.

Most adults diagnosed with cancer undergo years of treatment in attempts to cure that cancer. However, sometimes these treatments may not work, or the cancer is found too late in a patient to be stopped, and a patient’s cancer can be determined terminal, which means that the cancer can not be cured and will lead to death. If cancer is determined terminal, end-of-life care can be administered patients to control lasting pains, including shortness of breath, nausea, and constipation. However, this treatment does not cure the cancer, and will not prevent death in a terminally ill cancer patient. In some cases, patients decide that receiving end-of-life treatment is not worth it if the treatment does not prevent death. Terminally ill cancer patients may also continue to experience unbearable suffering, despite end-of-life treatments, as it is not always effective. These factors may push some terminally ill cancer patients to request to be actively euthanized. Active euthanasia is the merciful ending of a patient’s life through a single act, such as an injection. Terminally ill cancer patients should have the right to determine if they are actively euthanized. However, only patients who consider their suffering unbearable should have the right to be euthanized.