Quality of life for hospice care patients - The morality of assisted "departure"

[St. SteVen]

Having just lost my only remaining parent,
I have questions about quality of life in the end and
whether assisted suicide may be a merciful act.

Do I want to go through what my parent went through?
When they passed, my grief was equal to my relief.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Bob]

Thank you for your post. It is indeed hard to watch anyone suffer for a long time, and we might wonder if under similar circumstances if we will have the courage to wait for God.

We certainly would prefer no one suffer as they decline from a long, end-of life illness. However, there are various medicines that can ease the pain and keep people as comfortable as possible. An essential part of hospice is surely the spiritual assistance we can give.

Jesus suffered incredibly on the cross, and from His last words we might deduce He was wondering when God would come and end it. That has given me comfort more than once: knowing what He experienced, and that God will come for me at the right time.

Assisted suicide? At this point, I am no longer sure it was a good idea to put terminally ill pets down.

Let us remain faithful that even in pain and suffering, God is love.

Peace.

 

[Windmill Charge]

Having just lost my only remaining parent,
I have questions about quality of life in the end and
whether assisted suicide may be a merciful act.

Do I want to go through what my parent went through?
When they passed, my grief was equal to my relief.

What are your thoughts?

My immediate gut reaction is to shout 'no way'.
But,
It is the reality of life in so called ' care homes', of the indignities experienced by the elderly and I'm not talking about those actively dying or in great pain etc, but those whose bodies no longer obey them or whose minds are ' asleep'.

Caring for them is draining.
I don't know the answer, I do know that the suggestion of a way out, an exit pill can seem like a solution. Its a lot, lot cheaper.

We are not animals, we don't dispose of the inconvenient or the difficult, we care for them as best we can.

Do we really want society to say when we should die, is logans run to become reality?

 

[lforrest]

When we suffer for the sake of our loved ones I believe that to be Christ-like indeed.

Then there comes a time when the suffering is so much that the loving thing to do is pray for the Lord to take them. In my experience time is very short when this stage of dying comes.

To preempt a natural death with suicide is a great loss to both the dying and their loved ones. It should be a time for spiritual growth.

 

[Bob]

When we suffer for the sake of our loved ones I believe that to be Christ-like indeed.

Then there comes a time when the suffering is so much that the loving thing to do is pray for the Lord to take them. In my experience time is very short when this stage of dying comes.

To preempt a natural death with suicide is a great loss to both the dying and their loved ones. It should be a time for spiritual growth.

Well put.

True story: a Christian friend had an aunt with advanced dementia.
He lamented: Why doesn’t take her? Why must she suffer so?
My reply: Actually, she is not suffering at all, but for all appearances is in a state of bliss. You are the one who is suffering!

Amen.

 

[Jack]

People suffering so bad they want to die are not in their right minds. Sending them to Hell to SUFFER FOREVER is helping them?

 

[Aunty Jane]

Having just lost my only remaining parent,
I have questions about quality of life in the end and
whether assisted suicide may be a merciful act.

Do I want to go through what my parent went through?
When they passed, my grief was equal to my relief.

What are your thoughts?

This is a very important issue, because quantity is elevated over quality when it comes to keeping dying people alive.
There is no point in saving a dying person with artificial means, or saying that “God will take them” when the medical system is preventing death at all costs. Where is it stated in Scripture that we can’t withdraw all artificial means of life support, to keep a terminally ill patient breathing....can’t we simply let them go?
What is the point of prolonging the suffering?

There is a way to allow death to be a welcome end to suffering by simply withdrawing all those artificial means to keep them “alive”, if a heartbeat is all you are maintaining in a body that is clearly ready to go.

My husband chose this way to end his pain and when he had had enough of a life that was never going to get better, but only worse, he chose when that time had arrived and he told his doctor about his choice and he was fully supported by the doctor and staff at the NH he had lived in for three long, hard years of physical and mental decline. This breaks no law of God or man. He just refused to eat and drink. His organs shut down in a little over a week, and he passed away peacefully with his whole family by his side. It was a welcome release for him, and all of us who loved him.

 

[St. SteVen]

This is a very important issue, because quantity is elevated over quality when it comes to keeping dying people alive.
There is no point in saving a dying person with artificial means, or saying that “God will take them” when the medical system is preventing death at all costs.

Well said. Thanks for your post.