End of life procedure in Switzerland misused for vulnerable elderly mother

[lemonsqueezer55]

A family friend is bi-polar and come off her medication. She needs to be help and the family is on that but meanwhile she has arranged an assisted death in Switzerland. She is struggling with poverty and this is another reason why she wants to end her live. A man has taken 10,000 from her to make the arrangements and help her travel there. While the family is working on getting her mental health help is there any way to get the man to stop? Is there an advocacy group that could help me make a complaint to the police?

The family does not believe she would go through with the travel and procedure even in her incapacitated state if he was not preying on her. I can see in the news other families are struggling with this. He is based in the UK and the mother is overseas.

Here is an example of just one of many families dealing with it.
‘There was no dignity for our family,’ says niece of Irish man who died by euthanasia - Gript

And tips on where to get help would be appreciated.

I can call the agency in Switzerland but that will only delay or prevent her booking. It won't stop them from misusing what should be an end of life procedure for the terminally ill or people in pain.

I am finding more and more cases now about this same facility
Family threatens to sue assisted suicide group for helping another American woman to die (liveaction.org)

Are you in the UK? You could report to Adult Safeguarding in Social Services for financial abuse.

How did she come across this man , is he scamming her?

I think there’s two separate issues.

Does she have capacity?

It sounds to me that she may be being financially scammed in some ways. Do you know who the individual is who’s taken this money from her?

I'm not sure what the police could do.

It is not illegal to travel to Switzerland.

It isn't illegal to travel to Switzerland with the intent of attending one of the clinics either.

They require extensive conversations and paperwork and many of them only take people who are terminally ill.

How sure are you of her health status?

The question is whether the person in question has capacity or not. If you believe them to be in danger of their life, you need to speak to the police and an assessment can be carried out. Also speak to the police if you believe they are being scammed out of money.

What country is the mother in? Do they have an equivalent social services there?

If she has capacity, she is entitled to end her life. Those clinics have extensive checks.

10,000 does not sound like a scam either.

Pre-Covid it cost about 7k so I can well believe 10k now.

The money is used to check her medical records, have her checked out by two separate doctors, certify that she has capacity (they will not go ahead if she does not) etc etc.

So going down the scam route is unlikely to be effective because it's probably not true.

This

That's assuming he is actually doing what he says he is. If he is in the UK would that 'service' even be legal?

Going to the clinic yourself isn't illegal in the UK, but assisting someone else to is I thought?

Yes, it’s not clear if she is communicating with the clinic/an official representative or a person in the U.K. who could possibly be acting illegally.

She's off her bi polar medication and I believe does not have mental capacity but she presents well so hard to prove.

. Her therapist says she should be committed and local police will help do that.

But it won't stop this man or the Swiss organization from trying to get her to go later or prey on other vulnerable mentally unwell people. They have nor done thorough check.

But is it actually a Swiss organisation or someone claiming to be a. Intermediary? Did she actively solicit this or has this person found her and exploited her vulnerability. Is she registered as vulnerable with bank etc who may have queried the transfer of funds.

Are you certain that ‘the man’ and the Swiss organisation are the same person??

Are you both in the UK?

The police cannot section her.

She can only be sectioned by a mental health professional. The police can contact them and call them but the police don't section people.

Why are you talking to her therapist? Therapy is supposed to be confidential.

This sounds a bit like an anti-euthanasia post to be honest.

Surely if a person wants to die, and the Swiss clinic has assessed them as competent, that’s their choice.

The Swiss clinic won’t be trying to get her to go later, or be preying on other vulnerable people. That is not what these clinics do.

Also, the Swiss clinics have more people applying than they are prepared to take on.

As they say in their literature, for many people the knowledge that they can choose to end their suffering is enough and it enables them to have the strength to survive very difficult times.

They have extremely strict criteria of who they are prepared to work with and for many thus is terminally ill patients only.

I'd suggest you redirect your energy to actually supporting your mother.

That's from an anti abortion site so either they, you or both have a bigger agenda here.

I tend to think that a family who don't believe in assisted suicide should not be allowed to overrule the wishes of the person opting for it.

My understanding is that £10k is what it costs.

Vulnerable Adult referral to her local authority.

How do you know what the therapist thinks/has said?

A therapist has no say in the matter. Sectioning is down to a qualified mental health professional, such as a psychologist, plus a doctor, probably your GP, plus a psychiatrist.

The documentation these clinics need from an applicant is huge.

There are clinics in Switzerland that carry out very few checks. There is no requirement for a person to be terminally ill. The clinic you mention is one of them and it can all be arranged over the phone or internet for 10,000 swiss francs. I know this because I had a family member who needed help for low level chronic conditions, menopause and severe anxiety. With only her partner knowing about she ended her life by lethal infusion. The clinic says it is non profit but profit can easily be hidden. Her partner has moved on in life. The rest of her family are devastated. If your friend makes it to Switzerland the clinic won't stop her because they have to refund most of the money if she changes her mind. I'd get hold of her passport and tell her GP and consultant she is arranging suicide.