Assisted Dying

[AlphaB3tty]

I wasn't sure how to get this out there.
How can we not support assisted dying when women are allowed abortions and animals are put down?

People are far too worried about what other people want to do with their own bodies. I support abortion, why force someone to have a child they don't want? It's cruel for the parents and the child. I also support assisted dying. I've spent over a decade working with people who are terminally ill and I don't want to be left to suffer like so many of the people I've looked after if I'm ever in their shoes

From the Guardian article linked earlier:

“the country’s push to liberalise suicide has deterred much-needed investment in the ailing healthcare system and reshaped how society thinks about alleviating suffering.
“This focus on providing easy deaths – curing ‘suffering’ by ending life – I hope it keeps people sensitised to the reality of how people are suffering in different ways.”

The problem is that assisted dying just becomes another tool to deal with the problem of under resourced healthcare, letting off the hook governments and councils which have to prioritise limited funds against increasing demand.

No if an elderly person is terminally ill and wants a dignified end then fine

But what I don't want is an elderly person with a terminal illness to feel that assisted dying is the expected option for them

What I don't want is an elderly person to be bullied , neglected , despised so they they feel it's their only choice

Because I don't want a mother to feel that they best support their children by dying rather then spend their money on care and living out their last dreams

So ban inheritance and ban giving more than a few. £K a year to children - grab the money in taxes and remove the financial motives

I agree in principle but when I see the attitudes on her to 'keeping alive elderly people' and views on 'the elderly' in general I don't trust us not to go down the same route as Canada.

So ban inheritance and ban giving more than a few. £K a year to children - grab the money in taxes and remove the financial motives

This is your solution?

I see no reason why it shouldn’t work.

Given the greed I have seen here yes it's part of the solution

I wouldn't have said that before I signed up to this site and saw how aweful a large number of people are

And use the money gathered to build better health and social care rather than use killing peoples as a way to reduce health and social care costs as they are doing in some other countries

Why are you calling assisted dying “killing people”?

Emotional blackmail and appropriation of property, is that your thinking?

I support it and indeed would want it for myself in some circumstances (e.g. quadraplegic, locked in syndrome etc - basically anything where I have full mental capacity but can't do anything)

It would need to be water tight but how about psychological tests to ensure sound of mind and do as with a will so "as you are" currently and being able to specify the conditions you'd want it for in the event it happened?

I always remember my mum saying when we had pets PTS "at least we can do this for animals, humans you have to watch suffer"

I watched the programme on the Stuntman who was paralysed while filming the Harry potter films, it was heartbreaking, he was trying to make the best of everything but his deterioration and what he had to go through throughout the show was heartbreaking, I know I couldn't do it.

Good piece today about this:
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-herald-1130/20240326/281934547948815

I. Call it killing peoples when it's not 100% voluntary and an individual choice
When a family bully someone into it - they have killed then not assisted a dignified death

I am shocked that anyone can not wholeheartedly agree that it needs to be handled very carefully as the potential for abuse is so huge

I’m shocked that someone thinks it’s perfectly ok to appropriate other people’s property, a bit like Lenin take two, but there we go.

I don't have an agenda, and your comment is not in line with the thread.

You're the one who said it, more than once.

On a whole i agree mainly because i cared for my mum while she was dying in her mid 40s and i know she found going from a fit 40 something to her deatg especially hard.

On the other hand when pregnant they thought my baby had down syndrome and i was shocked how early and hard termination was mentioned by everyone i saw. No one mentioned actually having a down syndrome child just termination. Alot of parents tell of similar experiences.

My worry is that as soon as a terminal or life limited illness is diagnosed assisted dying might be the go to for medics.

My mum begged my dad to kill her with pills about 30 years ago, at that time she was 'just' dealing with depression. She was in and out of hospital for many years, she had ECT which I now think had a part in her now dementia.

My mum attempted suicide many times but never succeeded ( maybe because she didn't actually want to die?) who knows? But she still kept asking us to kill her.

Fast forward 10 years and my mum started to loose mobility, it was a long long time until she was diagnosed with acute atonal polyneuropathy. She suffered the indignity of having to use a commode and not being able to go upstairs In her home, sleeping on the couch (later a hospital bed).

Eventually, after a number of years, my mum and dad were moved into a wheelchair adapted home. Then my mum stated to show signs of dementia.

For the last 10 years my mum has been on a sharp decline, she no longer recognises me as her daughter, she thinks I'm her (deceased) sister and that her 10 yr old grandson is her nephew (actually nephew is 40 yrs). She has to be lifted between rooms in the house on a hoist, wears an adult nappy, is distraught 90% is the time. I mean really distraught, there is no quality of life here, her body is just not able to give up yet even though the mind is traumatised. We can't get her out the house as the hoist will not get her into a car. She goes to a rehab centre twice a week on a disabled bus which is my dad's only reprieve.

My mum is a haunted sad old woman at the age of only 70 years old, I crave for her suffering to end. For it to end for all of us. There should be an end of life directive to help in situations like this...