Anyone watching "Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die"

[MindyMacready]

Uncomfortable viewing.

thumbwitch - it wasn't my Mother, thank heavens, it's a friend of hers. Don't know all the details.

My Mother has always been firmly of the opinion that she wants to be put out of her misery if she develops dementia - after childhood experience of living with her (much-loved) Gran when she developed Alzheimers, and her Mother's subsequent nervous breakdown.

Sorry edam, my mis-read.
I understand your mother's wish. Before my own Grandmother developed Alzheimer's, I didn't understand the worst of it - that there are periods of lucidity when one knows about the "other periods" - it was horrible to watch the realisation dawn that she'd had another "episode" :(.
I think I'd prefer to (as my mum used to put it) be given a happy pill if that happened to me.

I thought the person who did the assessments at dignitas was a qualified doctor??

I know the 2 people who were present at the time of death were not qualified.

LordS yes, the person doing the assessment was a proper doctor, but there wasn't a medically qualified person there at the actual time of the drinking of poisonous drugs/death. Surely, if it was going to be required, it would be then.

fully agree that one would expect a medical professional 'on site' at all times.

Must be some legal problem adversely affecting their licenses if seen to be involved. I find the whole thing utterly terrifying.

Maybe it's akin to prescriptions - you need a docor to prescribe the drug but don't need a doctor to administer it or supervise the administration?

Or a doctor, even!

I think people like Riven and her daughter have every reason to fear how society seems to be in favour of AS. Even though i can understand that AS can be a good thing for some. I just don't trust that the laws (and people in general) put in place would be enough to stop the practice being abused.

I can't help but think that many disabled people or people who see themselves as a possible 'burden' will feel that AS is the only avenue open to them and that it will become 'expected' to a degree.

That hasn't happened in any of the countries that do allow assisted suicide, though.

I'm not so sure Edam

even worse things reported here (from Portofino's post below)

just give it time edam, especially once it starts to become expected or the norm.