My inquiry question is: Why do people choose/use Medical Assistance in Dying?
This week, my focus will be on looking at why people will actually choose to use this way of passing away. There are many different possible answers to this question. Researchers have found that the main reason for choosing Medical Assistance in Dying is to end their suffering. This method is very quick and easy, and using it can reduce so much pain. Unfortunately, there is also a majority of people who are scared of using it. Some are afraid that the chemicals in the formula are not well developed enough, and many it is not strong enough to actually end someone’s life. Others are just afraid of the thought of being “killed” in bed. However, there is one thing that may be able to change someone’s mind about MAiD. It is noted that if someone witnesses a close relative or a close friend pass away painfully, they are more likely to choose to use MAiD in the future if they are suffering as well. The reason for this is because they don’t want to end their life like their family/friend ended theirs. A peaceful death is a lot more enjoyable, and this thought can cause someone to change their mind. [1]
To explore further, what are the certain steps as to what happens during the MAiD process? Well, first of all, there are tons of paperwork that needs to be filled, along with the fact that using MAiD on a patient needs to be approved by specific doctors that specializes in this area. It is actually illegal to perform MAiD on someone who is not suffering from a terminal illness. The next step is to select a specific date to pass. The choice needs to be completely up to the patient and what he/she wants for themselves, instead of family or friends persuading them to die on a certain day. When choosing a date, patients typically choose days that are special to them. Whether it is their birthday (if it is near enough), a holiday, or just a normal day in the near future, that will be the day that will forever be engraved in their gravestone. [2] When that day finally arrives, many doctors and nurses will arrive at the patient’s house and begin the procedure. To prepare, the patient’s close family members will be gathered beside the bed, maybe holding their hand, as the sick patent is fed a medicine to help them fall asleep. Soon after, a needle (filled with deadly chemicals) is injected into the patient’s veins, causing their heartbeat to slow and finally stop completely. To make sure, doctors will then listen for their heartbeat, and if it is silent, the task is finished. Therefore, MAiD is completely painless and it is a great recommendation to anybody close to you who is suffering. [3]
Here are the sources that I used.
- https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/maid/
- https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/maid/docs/maid.pdf
- http://www.phsa.ca/health-info/medical-assistance-in-dying
Hello Julie,
interesting question! I like that you explored the process and reason for medical assistance in death. It may be helpful to include your next steps at the end of the post so that people know what you are planning to do next. If you need suggestions, maybe you could research where medical assistance in dying is morally ok? I know that recently medically assisted dying is being talked about for people with severe depression/ mental illness. Some people argue that it is cheaper to help these people professionally rather than going against their wishes. It could be an interesting extension to the research you have done.
Here are some links on what I was talking about
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047832/
https://bpded.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40479-020-00131-9
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/health/assisted-suicide-mental-disorders.html
Good luck!
Hi Julie!
I love your topic! I remember learning about it in law 12, I like how you talked about the reason behind medically assisted death. What do you planning on researching in the next round? Do you think medically assisted death is morally justified?
I look forward to your next research!
-ronnie
Hi Julie!
This post is very interesting to me as I want to go into the medical field. I wondered why people would choose the offer to die through medical assistance instead of going through a different way which would make them have a longer life expectancy. But then again people have the choice to choose what they want to do to end their life. Some people who have advanced cancer have a choice of doing chemo or not doing it all but having a shorter life expectancy. It’s interesting because some would rather live their life for 6 months instead of living in the hospital just to live for another 6 months or so. Some people rather choose the quicker way than the suffering way as that is how they want to live their life.
Questions:
Do you think that medical assistance in dying would be beneficial for the patient’s family? Do you think doing medical assistance for death is easier than suffering through the pain to the end of a patient’s life?
I can’t wait to read your next post!
-estella