Death with Dignity

The right thing to do when we see an animal suffering is the end its misery. Does this same principle apply to the human animal? This is the choice of a person that is suffering something worse than death. The advocate for this action, Dr. Kevorkian, felt that this was not a crime but rather a matter of choice. On the other hand, a majority feel that every person is of worth, whether 25 or 85. On the part of the physician, is this is a breach of the Hippocratic Oath?

Caller Michael is a physician himself and agreed with the adoption of the death with dignity law in Utah. He would not permit for someone to suffer longer than necessary. He felt that it wasn’t proper that we put our loved ones through pain.

Caller Scott watched his grandmother suffer from Parkinson’s disease and felt that it was a family decision. If you were to have a child in a serious accident and would be left as an invalid for the rest of their lives, would the family want to keep them that way?

There are a lot of elderly people that feel that they do not want to be a burden on their family. They don’t want to drain their estate and the resources of those they love while they suffer.

Caller Lynn is a hospice worker and feels that this is a mindset. We look to death as the most horrible thing that could happen but that we should see it as part of our life. We forget that as human beings we are here to touch others lives and likewise be touched. Death is just the opposite end of what began with birth.

Caller Judy had her sister just recently die from stomach cancer and consequently spent time in the hospice. Her sister hadn’t eaten any solid food for a couple of weeks. The hospice then increased the sedatives and Judy was told that most patients last for a week in this condition, but her sister hung on for two weeks. She wished that in this case this was allowed.

Caller Ken had changed his stance in recent years with his mother suffering from Alzheimer disease. She suffered for the last 4 years of her life in constant fear. He said that he would have made that decision for his mother.