…st for a lethal prescription and death. This is on page 11 of the 2017 annual report.[7] In 2017, at least one person lived 603 days; across all years, the longest reported duration between the request for assisted suicide and death was 1009 days. In every year except the first year, the reported upper range is significantly longer than 180 days. The definition of “terminal” in the statute only requires that the doctor predict that the person will…
…one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally.” As the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs stated in its report on the issue this year, “The terms ‘aid in dying’ or ‘death with dignity’ could be used to describe euthanasia or palliative/hospice care at the end of life and this degree of ambiguity is unacceptable for providing ethical guidance.”[i] Assisted suicide proponents understandably prefer to call it “aid in dying” because it polls…
…dance for professionals clearly states that POLST must be “Voluntary. Like all health care decisions, POLST form orders should never be required or mandated.” (See http://polst.org/professionals-page/?pro=1) The following is the current language of the NY MOLST form that creates a risk that the form may not be treated as voluntary: This is a medical order form that tells others the patient’s wishes for life sustaining treatment. A health care pro…
…ST, and nonhospital DNR forms are one of a number of factors leading to equally important errors in interpretation of these forms by medical personnel. Errors of interpretation are of great concern because they can result in treatment being provided or withheld in a manner inconsistent with the individual’s wishes. The most significant and devastating type of error occurs in the case of life-sustaining treatment, when nonconsensual withholding of…
…r that may interfere with the ability to provide for oneself, or to attend school or work, would be considered a heavily weighed negative factor. Conclusions could differ widely as to whether this factor is present, for example, in the case of a person with moderate cerebral palsy with entry level bookkeeping skills who currently has no general health problems. As most people with disabilities can attest to, prejudice against people with disabilit…
