Posted by Toph on February 14, 2005, at 7:01:09
In reply to Re: Can euthanasia be an act of love? (trigger) » Toph, posted by jujube on February 13, 2005, at 16:07:55
I have siimilar thoughts as you, jujube, though in case something terrible should happen to my wife, it is my responsibility as her health car agent to respect her opposing views about expraordinary medical interventions.
In the Netheralands, infamous for their liberal views on end of life decision-making, they believe that Americans have got the whole thing backwards. It is my understanding that in that country only physician assisted suicide is permitted whereby competent critically ill patients decide to commit suicide via physicians. Here, we allow surrogates via power of attorneys for health care documents to consent to terminating life supports on incompetent indiviuals who cannot speak for themselves or change their minds since the execution of the document. The former is a conscious directive, the later, a so-called advance directive.
Complicated stuff, but something everyone of us should be discussing with our closest friends and partners.
Toph
poster:Toph
thread:457210
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/relate/20050212/msgs/457485.html