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| John Kelly |
Assisted suicide can look appealing from an individual’s perspective, but at the state level, it inevitably leads to the premature deaths of non-dying people. At least 12% to 15% of people judged terminal outlive their six-month prognosis, according to the Journal of Palliative Medicine, sometimes by years and decades. Actress Valerie Harper, who died last month, lived six years longer than predicted. Tragically, there are people who would be alive today but for their misplaced trust in a doctor’s prediction.
Jacobsen cites the absence of disability abuse reports from state protection and advocacy agencies, but abuse gets easily buried. For example, Oregonian Wendy Melcher’s death in 2007 at the hands of two nurses was suppressed by the state nursing board.
Elder abuse is rampant. Safeguards end after drugs get dispensed and, because no witness is required, heirs and abusers can engineer deaths without worry.
As the cheapest “treatment” for serious illness, assisted suicide fattens insurers’ profits and crowds out traditional, more expensive treatment.
Palliative care doctors know how to let people die gently, so it’s inexcusable that anyone die in uncontrolled pain. Everyone has the right to reject any treatment, including food and water, and palliative sedation is available as a last resort.
The Minnesota Legislature should demand excellent palliative care, not put everyone in danger of premature death due to mistakes, abuse and insurers’ bottom lines.
John B. Kelly, Boston
The writer works for Not Dead Yet, an organization opposed to assisted suicide.
When palliative care gently sedates you and takes away food and water, it is hastening death.
ReplyDeleteMy mother and other relatives were not gently sedated. They were starved and dehydrated until they died. Apparently, gentle sedatives were too expensive, especially in Ontario.
ReplyDeleteThe Four Last Things of Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell await the executioners. May God have mercy on their souls.
The third path to imposed death.. Catholic approved here in the states. Palliative Care has found a convenient new path to murder. It is being accomplished by over medicating through "pain relief". The Catholic Bishops approve "pain relief" for the elderly and those who suffer illness. The third path is like the Third Way political movement 1930 Europe. The principle of double effect used to justify terminal sedation. It is ok prescribing pain medicine which hastens death as long as the "intent" is not to kill. It is also used as symptom treatment promoted in the context of Patient Comfort. You see, many of the pain meds cause a person to lie in bed and also to loose their appetite. One med side effect does just that.. however Palliative Care sees such things as the patient being in pain and thus delivers more medicine. Side effects of many of the meds cause confusion and moaning while sleeping due to bad dreams. The confusion and moaning are also construed as being caused by pain, thus more medication. My sister and I are currently witnessing the Palliative pain management of my aunt who is clear in mind until drugged. She is a Catholic nun and the sisters get the meds from hospice... and they all claim they are treating pain. We are trying to stop the use of the "new medicines" but I fear it is hopeless. They do not understand or they are in denial of what is being done. After all, the Church is on board with "Euthanasia by Pain Control".
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