Canada Assisted Dying Shitshow

[antelopevalley]

Anyone else been following what is happening in Canada around assisted dying? Lots of issues with mentally ill and depressed people being helped to kill themselves and assisted dying in some cases being pushed on disabled people. Below is a screenshot from the latest awful story.

This is what worries me about assisted dying, how it is implemented in practice. I remember how awful the Liverpool Pathway was that was supposed to make dying patients' last days more comfortable, and instead led to people who may have recovered being starved to death.

Ime it was something a terminally ill friend elected to do, however she died of MND two days before her appointment. I think giving people the option where they are suffering with a horrible disease is a good thing. Don't believe everything you read in the DM ffs.

For balance, you should read how we are implementing Voluntary Assisted Dying across Australia. I'm in Victoria, and we have a safe and legal framework where only people who meet the certain conditions will be eligible for voluntary assisted dying. This framework was developed in particular to protect those who may not be able to protect themselves or could be forced into a decision.

People with disability or mental illness who meet the conditions have the same right to ask for voluntary assisted dying as others in the community. However, having disability or mental illness alone is not sufficient reason for a person to receive access to the medications.

Like anyone else, people who have disability or mental illness must also have an advanced disease likely to cause death within six months (or 12 months for neurodegenerative diseases) and have the ability to make and communicate a decision about voluntary assisted dying throughout the process.

I have just read of another woman in Canada who tried to get specialist treatment for her health problems, and after years of trying to get proper treatment and pain relief, gave in and applied for assisted dying. By that point she was terminally ill but had failed to get palliative treatment that she had sought.
There are so many cases I have read of people who have been killed, rather than get the treatment they should be given.
It is awful and makes me scared at the idea of assisted dying coming to Britain.

I agree. Belgium too. Its awful. I'm in favour of euthanasia morally but it doesn't seem possible to implement without becoming a slippery slope very quickly. Let's see how Australia goes in the next few years, also don't forget lots of people are nasty and would encourage their parents to die early for inheritance.

I'm totally for it. But I'm against it being offered, it should be something that has to be requested by the individual. I really hope the option becomes available here.

@Boomboom22 It is introduced from an ethic of wanting to help and I am sure it does help some people. But I agree the implementation simply seem to lead to people being killed who should not be.
Disabled people are not valued in our country anyway. So it would be easy to see how people could be pressured into agreeing to this. And I agree for some inheritance will be the issue.

@Boomboom22 voluntary assisted dying is only for people who are suffering from an incurable, advanced and progressive disease, illness or medical condition, who are experiencing intolerable suffering. The condition must be assessed by two medical practitioners to be expected to cause death within six months.

There is an exception for a person suffering from a neurodegenerative condition, where instead the condition must be expected to cause death within 12 months.

There are multiple safeguards across each step of this process - including doctors who participate must be qualified and there is an independent board who monitors all requests and doctors.

While some may disagree, I'm relieved that age and disability is not a reason accepted to apply. Here there just seems way too many risks and opportunities for abuse.

*In Australia - I recognise the rules vary drastically in different countries.

I genuinely think assisted dying is needed. We keep humans alive far beyond when they want to be alive. Look at people with Alzheimers and dementia. I don't want that life. I hope if I ever get there I can choose a way out before I'm completely incapacitated.

@Hercisback The point is that in Canada people are choosing assisted dying because they can not get healthcare treatment so are in constant pain, can not get palliative care or are mentally ill. It is not a real choice for too many people.

Well said. I want my death to be my decision.

I think the sooner they allow assisted dying the better. In years to come it will be seen as barbaric that our so called civilised society keeps people alive who are in terrible pain and want to die, refusing to let them do so in a dignified and painless way. This change is long overdue.

I'd want a better source than that before I comment on it.

Lots of cases and lots of articles about how people are being helped to die because they are in poverty or can not access the social care or health care they need.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11508581/Woman-featured-commercial-euthanasia-Canada-wanted-live-access-care.html

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/christine-gauthier-paralympian-euthanasia-canada-b2238319.html

www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-is-canada-euthanising-the-poor/

www.independent.co.uk/voices/assisted-dying-maid-suicide-canada-homeless-b2233845.html

www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2022/08/15/canadas-new-euthanasia-laws-carry-upsetting-nazi-era-echoes-warns-expert/

I agree.

I wholeheartedly agree with you.

In response to a pp mentioning Alzheimer’s - would that even fit the criteria? Surely they wouldn’t be able to consent?

So do I.

This is a massive can of worms that has been opened. The trouble is that other people are now assessing someone else’s quality of life from what may be a skewed perspective.
There is so much that can go wrong with this and it strays into the territory of eugenics.
I don’t Ah with assisted dying but I think we can do death better. There is no reason for anyone to be dying in pain on this day and age. Hospice care and end of life home care needs to be far more widely available, not just for cancer sufferers.

*don’t agree

^Agreed.
Why you can’t have a legal document in place when you are young and sound of mind I don’t know. Even if there was a charge.
I do not want to spend my twilight years not having a clue where or who I am. I don’t want a painful death either.
Ideally would be nice to go in my sleep, but that’s unlikely!

The Liverpool care pathway was essentially a good practice guide for providing palliative/hospice level end of life care in an acute hospital setting.

what it didn't factor in is that far too many doctors are exceptionally gifted academically but completely and utterly lack the soft social skills to communicate difficult information effectively and compassionately with patients and their families, compounded by a hierarchical NHS in which nursing staff can struggle to question 'doctors orders'.

it was poor communication and incorrect implementation and a media frenzy that did for the LCP rather than it was in itself inherently cruel/immoral.

Having seen many many people in the days before death I would always advocate for an option that puts people back in control as much as possible and end their lives peacefully and with dignity. I think the safeguards built into the Australian model described above are a very good starting point.