'Assisted Dying'? Yes or No?

[WifeOfMacbeth]

Am thinking about this one at the moment.
Are you in favour? Against? Not sure?
I'm also wondering whether views change as we get older....

Yes. As a stage 4 cancer patient I've seen what's coming and I don't like it.

Absolutely yes.

Yes of course I’m in favour having seen numerous relatives die a long slow painful death. If you are very lucky you have a heart attack and die before you hit the floor, but unfortunately that doesn’t happen to a lot of us.
Last week my cat bought in a rat that he had maimed not killed. I could have just thrown the rat outside and left it to die, but I couldn’t do that to a rat which is vermin so put it out of its misery. Hopefully when my time comes someone will do that for me.
(Obviously I would prefer an injection that puts me to sleep, not a brick behind the bins)

no

Yes. I was before my husband was diagnosed with a life-limiting illness for which there is no cure and no effective palliative care, and I am even more so now.

I have no patience at all for religious objections - o respect others' religious beliefs, but I don't subscribe to any, and I don't want their biases foisted on my life choices.

Nor do I think the slippery slope argument carries much weight; in my 70 years, I've heard that as an objection to every major social legislative change, from abortion, to blasphemy laws, to gay marriage. If what you are concerned about is not in the legislation, there is no rationale for opposition - if there is ever a change proposed to the law that you disagree with, that's the time to campaign against it.

A thousand times "yes". I would like everyone to have the choice, because that is absolutely what I want for myself.

I see a lot of enthusiasm from people who don't seem to have interest in engaging with the complexity or dangers around the subject. At least it won't be a decision made by referendum I suppose and MPs will have to account for the consequences.

Yes. And in particular, as an extension, I think it should be legal to stipulate in an advance decision when you would want assisted dying should you lose your capacity. I’ve said in my advance decision that if I lose capacity and have poor quality of life then if assisted dying is legal then I would want it.

A big Yes from me. If it’s not for you that’s fine don’t do it then, but it’s defo something I want for me and my loved ones.

The point about the rat is very salient. If you wouldn't let an injured rat die in pain, how can it be justified to do it to a loved one?

No doubt throughout history, there have been many pillow over the face moments in response to a loved one's request. It's a human need to help others to stop their suffering. No one should ever be punished for that, when they've already been through an incredibly challenging and sorrowful experience. More to the point, relatives shouldn't be put in that position in the first place. We've advanced medical technology to such a degree that it's now irresponsible not to see that interventions are not always in the patient's interest.

Massively in favour of it, been thinking a lot about it last year when I got diagnosed with cancer, seen some awful long drawn out deaths and don’t want that for me. and also had to have various animals put to sleep, vets words that stuck in me one time was basically about why prolong the suffering, the ending isn’t changing and it’s pain and suffering for no reason.

I would be in favour in principle in some limited circumstances but I honestly can't see how the appropriate safeguards could be put in place to protect the very vulnerable so for that reason I would say no in a referendum situation

Indeed.
Though the long drawn out death still means I agree

Yes all the way.

Definitely for it….

Nope, definitely not.

My moral and religious reasons aside, there are way too many ways it could be used maliciously. Greedy inheritance grabbers for a start.

Yes

Yes, I work in healthcare, and have a terminally ill parent (dementia - all she can do is swallow and blink). I have looked after patients who were so, so destroyed that I would go home and have nightmares. One I remember my legs buckling under me as he was so distressingly and visibly ill. What we put people through - for no real reason - is an affront to human dignity and amoral. I am a big advocate of dying with dignity, without pain and suffering, without slowly starving in the back room of a stuffy ward.

Yes. People should be able to actively opt out of assisted dying if they want to on any grounds - religious, family etc

As a healthcare professional who will be forever haunted by some of the hideous deaths I've seen. Yes, all the way.

Having had a cat put to sleep after a cancer battle when his quality of life had clearly passed the point of it being fair to keep him alive I am 100% for it. It was so peaceful and a nice way to say goodbye.

My grandparents in the other hand were in their 90s, couldn't eat, were generally wasting away and in pain constantly and it was awful.

Yes, there is a chance it could be misused but there are absolutely cases where it should be used and safeguards need to be put in place.

No.

I think humanity is pretty bloody awful. I don’t have any confidence that it wouldn’t be pushed as an alternative to costing the state money in care fees, or that individuals wouldn’t feel obliged to do it, to avoid feeling like a burden.

I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone who wants to do it though.

Yes , and I'd go further than saying for terminal patients only .
I'd hate to have years of dementia , being in a care home , totally dependent on others caring for me whilst having the value of my house and investments being used up and being unable to leave something to my children .
Much prefer giving my permission for my life to be ended once I'd lost my cognitive awareness .

Until very recently I was very much in favour of assisted dying, but I have changed my mind on learning about the 'creep' of intended diagnoses which trigger the process and the poor support available to those in the terminal stages of life. I worry such a law would enable continued poor support delivery, so bringing about a very un-virtuous cycle.

However I feel guilty about my change of heart: a colleague died from motor neuron and that was brutal to watch from a distance so I hate to think how my colleague and her family suffered. I don't know how she and her family felt about assisted dying but I believe in cases such as hers it should be available.

It's such a complicated issue, with good arguments on both sides. I think the increased amount of discussion about assisted dying is very good for us as a society.

I just wanted to send you a hug 🤗