Time to depart.

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I read that Ester Rantzen has joined an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland.

It's a pity people have to go to such lengths in the UK and what is even more disappointing, is that any family members that travel with them would/could be prosecuted as well.


Even conservative Canada is ahead on this and has allowed assisted dying since 2016.

Personally I think it's a good idea to offer this option to terminally ill people, but I do have a concern for opening it up to people whose sole underlying condition is depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, PTSD or any other mental affliction.

People should definitely have an upto date advanced care plan in place should the worst happen to you and lose the capacity to choose your own path or make your own decisions.

Has Rantzen got a life ending/degenerative illness that she’s worried about going past the point of no return? If not, she still had the power to end her life here, just not with any help.

I’ve just been through the dying/death process with my Grandma and she always wanted to have palliative care when the time came.

The issue is when medics and family agreeing the time that that is.

All care homes should ask/implement active care plans when residents are admitted. It saves a lot of heartache when the difficult decisions have to be made.

Anyway, I hope Rantzen gets the ending she wants.

 

[mexico1970]

I'd question the word 'many', although there's no doubt politicians could and should do a lot more for improving society, especially while they are well looked after by the taxpayer themselves.

As I said, I'm all for assisted dying in terminal cases, but don't think it should be extended beyond that.

One in four Canadians supports euthanasia on grounds of poverty

One in four Canadians supports euthanasia on grounds of poverty

Over a quarter of Canadians believe that people should have access to euthanasia because of poverty, a new survey has found. Currently, Canada’s federal guidelines for medical assistance in dying include having a grievous and irremediable medical condition, making a voluntary request for medical...

unherd.com

Never give anyone the tools to do this IMO, if this graph is a real indication it's terrifying.

 

[2smokinberyls smockfrocks]

i, like everyone else, did not ask to be born.

the only thing i truly have is my life.

when the time comes why should i not be allowed to take it if i want to?

 

[2smokinberyls smockfrocks]

every year globally over 700,000 people take their own lives,
but because some pricks in authority dictate that it against the law to die those poor souls often end up having to do it in a very violent or hurtful manner.

 

[Slipper One]

One in four Canadians supports euthanasia on grounds of poverty

One in four Canadians supports euthanasia on grounds of poverty

Over a quarter of Canadians believe that people should have access to euthanasia because of poverty, a new survey has found. Currently, Canada’s federal guidelines for medical assistance in dying include having a grievous and irremediable medical condition, making a voluntary request for medical...

unherd.com

Never give anyone the tools to do this IMO, if this graph is a real indication it's terrifying.

Personally, I don't take any notice of surveys like this, they can be manipulated to achieve whatever result you want.

We may have our issues, but as far as I know, nobody doesn't have access to medical treatment. I could easily do a survey on the high street of our local town and get vastly different results.

What does poverty mean? How did people manage back in the years when there was real poverty?

The issue shouldn't be euthanizing people in poverty, it should be about building a society to reduce it. That is down to the will of the various levels of government we have in place..........and it really doesn't matter which is in power, the result is the same.

 

[BlueFurn]

People should definitely have an upto date advanced care plan in place should the worst happen to you and lose the capacity to choose your own path or make your own decisions.

Has Rantzen got a life ending/degenerative illness that she’s worried about going past the point of no return? If not, she still had the power to end her life here, just not with any help.

I’ve just been through the dying/death process with my Grandma and she always wanted to have palliative care when the time came.

The issue is when medics and family agreeing the time that that is.

All care homes should ask/implement active care plans when residents are admitted. It saves a lot of heartache when the difficult decisions have to be made.

Anyway, I hope Rantzen gets the ending she wants.

Tough choices.

 

[Slipper One]

Has Rantzen got a life ending/degenerative illness that she’s worried about going past the point of no return? If not, she still had the power to end her life here, just not with any help.

I believe it's lung cancer AHT.

I see your point about having the option to do it herself here, but that's a tough one for many to do. If depression etc is the issue, then it seems to be much easier....unfortunately.

Good advice with the other though, another subject that people find uncomfortable and find easier to put on the back burner or ignore.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

The mother in law is currently undergoing palliative in a nursing home for vascular dementia, and on a personal level can see nothing dignified in the manner of it's progressive drawdown or nature.

The wife visited today with our Christmas presents, and her mother thought she was one of her care team. She can no longer walk, or interact in a logical manner, and is completely unable to administer her own care. Not an end I'd be envious of.

Is this the finality that we all strive for, or is assisted dying the way forward in a progressive society. Hand on heart, I'd yearn for that magic drink.

 

[2smokinberyls smockfrocks]

my mate's good friend is a skier, or rather, was a skier.
he is in his 30's and recently broke his neck skiing.
all he can do now is move his eyes, that's it, that's all he has left.
he is completely paralysed and unable to express himself.

if he could speak, deep down, we all know what he would be asking for, don't we?

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I believe it's lung cancer AHT.

I see your point about having the option to do it herself here, but that's a tough one for many to do. If depression etc is the issue, then it seems to be much easier....unfortunately.

Good advice with the other though, another subject that people find uncomfortable and find easier to put on the back burner or ignore.

Lung cancer is horrid. I watched my mum die from it. I do hope she gets sorted.

We Brits do need to talk more about death in general. The ACP can be amended and it’s about comfort, rather than death itself. They need to be sold as a positive, not a negative.

 

[117 M34]

I think it's a good idea but only for those with terminal illnesses. Shouldn't be allowing assisted suicide because someone has split up with their wife/husband or lost their job.

I'd be too scared to do it personally.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

I think it's a good idea but only for those with terminal illnesses. Shouldn't be allowing assisted suicide because someone has split up with their wife/husband or lost their job.

I'd be too scared to do it personally.

If someone is that far gone with life that suicide is the only way out, it should be an option.

Nobody asked to be born did they at the end of the day.

 

[Slipper One]

If someone is that far gone with life that suicide is the only way out, it should be an option.

Nobody asked to be born did they at the end of the day.

With all due respect Langley, I think that's a weak argument.

My issue with the conditions outside of terminal illness is that there should be more done to help people in this situation so as to improve their wellbeing and standard of living.

Don't take me as some bleeding heart Liberal, because I'm far from it, but I do believe Government should provide adequate resources and everybody should at the very minimum, be at least given the opportunities to have a decent standard of living. Some just need more help than others.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

With all due respect Langley, I think that's a weak argument.

My issue with the conditions outside of terminal illness is that there should be more done to help people in this situation so as to improve their wellbeing and standard of living.

Don't take me as some bleeding heart Liberal, because I'm far from it, but I do believe Government should provide adequate resources and everybody should at the very minimum, be at least given the opportunities to have a decent standard of living. Some just need more help than others.

Totally agree with everything you said, it sometimes a person doesn’t want anything other than to end their life, and go to pretty horrendous lengths to do so.

The support should absolutely be there and far better than what it is. I do though think a person should be able to end their life if they want, without having to resort to the various ways it happens.

 

[Slipper One]

Lung cancer is horrid. I watched my mum die from it. I do hope she gets sorted.

We Brits do need to talk more about death in general. The ACP can be amended and it’s about comfort, rather than death itself. They need to be sold as a positive, not a negative.

Good point.

Everybody who matters knows my request to have the cheapest funeral available, whatever the absolute basic box is to put me in and burial, not cremation, but nothing verbal, written or in my will concerning this. Just hadn't considered it.

 

[Slipper One]

Totally agree with everything you said, it sometimes a person doesn’t want anything other than to end their life, and go to pretty horrendous lengths to do so.

The support should absolutely be there and far better than what it is. I do though think a person should be able to end their life if they want, without having to resort to the various ways it happens.

I guess my concern is making it too available an option and therefore taking lives 'unnecessarily'.

In my experience, depression for instance, leads people to make decisions that rational people wouldn't make.

 

[JASR]

We Brits do need to talk more about death in general.

Very much so.

It needs to happen when you’re healthy and fit.

The worst thing is to be taken constantly to hospital, for A&E docs to bring back to ‘life’, get discharged back, and repeat ad infinitum.
A simple prior discussion of ‘pain relief only’ would be a blessing to the family and the medical community

 

[BlueNomad]

In societies that allow DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) and NBM (Nil By Mouth), it seems inhumane they don’t allow assisted suicide. Clearly, it needs gatekeepers, but no reasons, other than religion, to not honour someone’s wishes when it comes to their own, rapidly deteriorating, life.

We each have Health Care Power Of Attorney putting the other in charge, with specific instructions for each other.

“Love, Honour and Respect
In Sickness and In Health
Until Death Us Do Part…”


And, “Sailing” by Rod Stewart was my Dad’s choice.


I quite fancy this:
(I’d prefer it with Amy Adams in Arrival, but…)

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Very much so.

It needs to happen when you’re healthy and fit.

The worst thing is to be taken constantly to hospital, for A&E docs to bring back to ‘life’, get discharged back, and repeat ad infinitum.
A simple prior discussion of ‘pain relief only’ would be a blessing to the family and the medical community

We had that in place and it still took time for the system to change the belief that a person’s best interests aren’t necessarily to keep making them better.

The infection cycle when a person is too old/weak to fight off an infection before the next one hits is still an anomaly that needs straightening out in the NHS.

To reply to @Slipper One ’s concern about assisted suicide and depression, the system shouldn’t allow someone diagnosed with depression to make that decision, in my opinion.

 

[Blue Mist]

Fuck me, can we get back to the songs please.

Mine would be Neil Innes How Sweet to be an Idiot.