France moves one step closer to legalising euthanasia

[Rockntractor]

Using the term "assisted death" rather than euthanasia, the council invoked a "duty to humanity" to allow a patient "suffering from an ailment for which the treatment has become ineffective" to die.

A medical team, not a sole doctor, would take the decision.

The council's conclusions came after President François Hollande asked it to examine the precise circumstances under which such steps could be authorised, with a view to tabling draft legislation by June.

Changes were necessary, he said, as, "the existing legislation does not meet the legitimate concerns expressed by people who are gravely and incurably ill".
Read More>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...uthanasia.html
I'm not particularly concerned with the youth in Asia or France for that matter.

[JB]

With the direction that country is headed I imagine the line will be out the door.

[noonwitch]

There is a big difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia. With the first, the patient is capable of giving consent and does so.


I really don't have a problem with assisted suicide for terminal patients who want to avoid having a terribly painful last few months, and are going to die anyways. One of the issues I had with Dr. Death was at least one of his patients was not terminal-it was a woman with cerebral palsy.

[Rockntractor]

There is a big difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia. With the first, the patient is capable of giving consent and does so.


I really don't have a problem with assisted suicide for terminal patients who want to avoid having a terribly painful last few months, and are going to die anyways. One of the issues I had with Dr. Death was at least one of his patients was not terminal-it was a woman with cerebral palsy.

Those are good points, it isn't an easy issue.
I have seen this done by hospice in this country for 3 decades, it just isn't talked about.

[Hawkgirl]

I have seen this done by hospice in this country for 3 decades, it just isn't talked about.

In the last couple of days of death, a morphine drip is usually increased. It results in depressing respiration and eventual death. But, it's done as palliative care and pain management for the patient to increase comfort during the last days and not necessarily to hasten death. Morphine basically manages pain and enables the disease process to take over.

Personally, when it's my turn, I hope I get a good nurse that makes my last days as painless as possible.

Now giving a bolus of morphine as an overdose is euthanasia. That's not what happens in hospice.

[SaintLouieWoman]

In the last couple of days of death, a morphine drip is usually increased. It results in depressing respiration and eventual death. But, it's done as palliative care and pain management for the patient to increase comfort during the last days and not necessarily to hasten death. Morphine basically manages pain and enables the disease process to take over.

Personally, when it's my turn, I hope I get a good nurse that makes my last days as painless as possible.

Now giving a bolus of morphine as an overdose is euthanasia. That's not what happens in hospice.

I figured that is what was happening with my mom. She had vascular dementia and had a stroke and gone into a coma. They called the family to her nursing home (the doc opted to keep her there instead of taking her to the hospital) and said to hurry as she probably had less than an hour. Four days later, she kept holding on, although breathing very laboriously. She had signed a do not resuscitate in her living will, so they were only giving her oxygen. It was horrible. The nurse practitioner for the doc finally came over and ordered more morphine. She only lasted a few hours after that. The doc never came over once in the 4 days. He had been my doc, too. I was very upset and changed docs.