Category Archives: Lisa Blumberg

Lisa Blumberg: Whether Suicide Can Be Rational Is the Wrong Question

ageism, aid in dying, assisted suicide, bioethics, Lisa Blumberg, Our News & Commentary Blog, psychiatry, quality of life judgments, suicide prevention, ,

In the article “Rational Suicide in Later Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature” in the National Library of Medicine, the authors reviewed 23 studies on “rational suicide” with the stated aim of better understanding the concept of rational suicide in older adults. The piece defines rational suicide as “a sane, well-thought-out and fairly stable … Continue reading Lisa Blumberg: Whether Suicide Can Be Rational Is the Wrong Question →

Ethicist Thaddeus Mason Pope Predicts Assisted Suicide Will Expand into Legalized Euthanasia Covered by Medicare

"death with dignity", aid in dying, assisted suicide, dementia, euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia, Lisa Blumberg, Our News & Commentary Blog, , , ,

By Lisa Blumberg Currently the several states that have legalized assisted suicide adhere to the Oregon model, the two most significant aspects of which are that assisted suicide is restricted to those presumed to have less than six months to live and the lethal drugs, once obtained, must be self-administered. Opponents of assisted suicide see … Continue reading Ethicist Thaddeus Mason Pope Predicts Assisted Suicide Will Expand into Legalized Euthanasia Covered by Medicare →

The Washington Post Opposes the Expansion of Canada’s Euthanasia Law to Psychiatric Survivors

assisted suicide, Canada, euthanasia, Lisa Blumberg, mental health, Our News & Commentary Blog, psychiatric survivors, suicide prevention, , , ,

By Lisa Blumberg The broadening of eligibility under the Canada’s euthanasia law to include people who are deemed to suffer from “untreatable mental illnesses” has been delayed once again. The expansion had been scheduled to take effect in March. According to the New York Times, the postponement occurred because a parliamentary committee concluded that there … Continue reading The Washington Post Opposes the Expansion of Canada’s Euthanasia Law to Psychiatric Survivors →

Lisa Blumberg: Support Grows for a Bill of Rights for People with Guardians

civil rights, Health care decision-making, Lisa Blumberg, medical decisionmaking, Our News & Commentary Blog, supported decision making, Surrogate Decisions & Guardianship, ,

Alexandra is a woman in her forties who has been described as developmentally disabled and has sometimes had problems managing her budget.  She cares about having a conventional appearance and her preference is for V-neck blouses. She unfortunately has early-stage breast cancer, but it could be treated in various ways. She could benefit from having … Continue reading Lisa Blumberg: Support Grows for a Bill of Rights for People with Guardians →

NDY Public Comment on HHS/OCR Proposed Section 504 Healthcare Regulations

healthcare rationing, HHS, life-ending decisions, life-sustaining treatment, Lisa Blumberg, Medicaid, medical discrimination, Our News & Commentary Blog, public comment, Quality Adjusted Life Years, quality of life judgments, suicide prevention, treatment withdrawal, treatment withholding, ,

Not Dead Yet has joined many disability organizations in applauding the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights for proposing critically needed rules to update and amend its Section 504 regulations in the area of healthcare. NDY’s public comment focuses primarily on the Department’s questions concerning medical treatment (Section 84.56), … Continue reading NDY Public Comment on HHS/OCR Proposed Section 504 Healthcare Regulations →