Is it OK to allow the terminally ill to end their lives at a time of their choosing to avoid suffering, but not a person with severe or chronic pain who has lost the will to live? Should a lethal prescription be an option for all who are suffering?
The Maryland General Assembly will be debating SB 845/HB 933 this week, offering “aid in dying” or “physician-assisted suicide” to someone with a six-month prognosis. There are many problems with the bill and its lack of protection for vulnerable populations such as the disabled, poor and elderly who might be targeted and feel the value of their own lives diminished. The policy makes suicide socially acceptable, as evidenced by Oregon’s increased suicide rate, much higher than the national average (Oregon Health Authority, Suicide Trends 2017). The biggest problem is the policy does nothing for the longer-term suffering of non-terminally ill. Are we doing enough to relieve suffering for everyone?
As a nurse practitioner for more than 35 years, I have walked with many people who are suffering, often on their final journeys. We can’t give up on our quest to relieve human suffering. Medical innovations, increased access to palliative care and socioeconomic support systems are needed. However, sometimes the simplest measures can be the most effective. These include being physically present with someone who is suffering, listening, providing gentle physical care, gentle...
This story is the second in an ongoing series on the Cost of Fraud, as Open the Books tallies the hidden fees on American tax returns. Click here to read the first story on fraudulent autism billi...