Right to die
For the 1987 film, see Right to Die (film)The term "
right to die" refers to various issues around the
death of an individual when that person could continue to
live with the aid of
life support, or in a diminished or enfeebled capacity. In some cases, it refers to the idea that a person with a
terminal illness and in serious condition should be allowed to commit
suicide before death would otherwise occur. The concept is often nicknamed
dying with dignity.
In most countries in the
Western world, people do not, legally speaking, have the right to die. Suicide is often frowned upon, and
euthanasia is only legal in a handful of countries. In some
East Asian countries, suicide may be acceptable in cases such as
ritual suicide.
Most often, the idea of the right to die is related to a person's wish that caregivers allow death—for example, by not providing
life support or vital medication— under certain conditions when recovery is highly unlikely or impossible. It may also refer to issues regarding
physician-assisted suicide. It may be called
passive euthanasia in cases where the patient is unable to make decisions about treatment.
Living wills and
Do Not Resuscitate orders are legal instruments that make a
patient's treatment decisions known ahead of time; allowing a patient to die based on such decisions is not considered to be euthanasia. Usually these patients have also made explicit their wish to receive only
palliative care to reduce pain and suffering.
Although specialized legal instruments differ from state to state, there are two more that are important in this context. The Five Wishes document allows a person to state in advance the priorities and values they wish to have honored at the end of life. And the Medical Durable Power of Attorney (or MDPOA) designates an agent to make decisions in case of incapacity, and can be used to give written guidance regarding end of life decision making. The MDPOA is generally considered to be the most powerful of all such instruments. All others may require interpretation on the part of health care providers or even court-appointed guardians; the MDPOA takes the job of interpretation out of the hands of strangers and gives it to a person selected and trusted by the individual.
*
Blog on Death with Dignity News*
Patient refusal of nutrition and hydration*
Living will*Oregon's
Death with Dignity Act*Texas'
Advance Directives Act*
Euthanasia*
Suicide*
Omission*
Culture of Life*
Medical ethics,
Hippocratic Oath*
Jack Kevorkian,
Sue Rodriguez,
Edward Brongersma,
Terri Schiavo,
Ramón Sampedro,
Nancy Cruzan,
Tirhas Habtegiris,
Karen Ann Quinlan
