Analyzing Aid in Dying: A Terminal Illness Perspective

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Right to Die, Right to Choose Introduction: A new diagnosis of a terminal illness can give a person a new vision in life and they think about life here on out much differently. Everything seems foggy at first, but life eventually becomes very clear as far as your last wishes and goals with your last days, months, or years here on earth. After the shock, reality suddenly sets in and makes you see what is important in life and you realize a list of wishes and goals you want to accomplish before your passing day. “More than twenty years ago, even before voters in Oregon had enacted the first aid in dying (AID) statute in the United States, Timothy Quill and colleagues proposed clinical criteria for AID.” (1) AID is referred as a prescription …show more content…

Is it right? Is it wrong? Many opinions are out there in the world about the option to end your life earlier than the natural dying process. In my opinion, more states need to realize the pain and suffering a patient can go through with such debilitating disease and terminal illness. The most important view with the end life process is the patients view and their final wishes. This is an important topic, because there are terminally ill patients looking for an answer to end their pain and suffering. They are looking for options for the best quality of life knowing the end is nearly here. They are often fighting a losing battle. The impact this topic has made on me is to realize how broad the feelings are on assisted suicide. There are a lot people who believe in dying the natural and masking the pain and suffering with medication so they can have their loved one around for longer mentally competent or mentally incompetent. I believe this to be selfish on their part, and they often try to bury the patient’s true feelings when they around saying they don’t know what they are saying. The patient may try to communicate what they want to a doctor. It is the doctor’s duty to make the conclusion whether the patient has the decision-making capacity to make decisions. We all know family members can be selfish and overly bearing at times with their family members health care. That’s why I believe it to be very important the family steps out of the patient’s room and the doctor communicates to the patient on his or her requests and consents on their care. It is important to get the patient’s options presented to them and to grant their final

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