• Somebody_Else@feddit.online
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    10 days ago

    Unfortunately, a lot of people arent.

    Due largely to religious bullshit (at least in america), its very very difficult to get death with dignity. My grandma has parkinsons, she wants to go on hospice before it takes her brain, but her doctor is Catholic and decided its against his religion to let her die as she wants to.

    Shes trying to find a doctor who will let her, but its very very difficult. Its still considered murder in most of the country, and even most Hospice doctors wont do anything besides not resuscitate. We have to be careful to not call an ambulance for her, because if she goes to a hospital, the doctor is allowed to just ignore her DNR if thats against their religion.

      • Somebody_Else@feddit.online
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        10 days ago

        Not just allowed, actively pushed to do so.

        The doctor she goes to did it, just decided that it was against his religion for her to decide to go on hospice care.

        Even if he would allow it, in order for her to get on hospice, her doctor would have to go in front of an ethics committee and argue for her to be allowed to go on hospice. If anyone on the ethics committee objects, she isn’t allowed.

        California has a right-to-die law (one of very few states that does). You are allowed to die if your doctor can prove that your disease will kill you in 6 months, that you are coherent (at the time of death, you cant sign anything beforehand for it), if you are capable of taking the suicide pills without assistance.

        The doctor has to document that you made two separate distinct verbal requests, 48 hours apart. Has to document that your disease will kill you in 6 months, has to document that you are able to take the pills on your own with no assistance (too weak to die? too bad). The case is automatically reviewed (and they will try to take away the doctors license every time).

        And anyone involved is allowed to stop you if they object on any grounds.

        Killing yourself is a sin in most versions of Christianity, so its effectively illegal in most of the country, and any doctor that is willing to let you has to really really work to not get their license taken and them thrown in jail.

      • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        10 days ago

        They don’t. They base their decision on religion, but they justify it with big medical and sciencey words. But they’ll tell you it’s due to their faith (if they’re so bold).

    • lonefighter@sh.itjust.works
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      10 days ago

      Check your state law. In some states it is very illegal to ignore a properly filled out DNR, religion or no religion.

      Also, hospice is not state assisted suicide. Hospice is comfort care, and it’s not about causing someone to die, it’s about helping someone who is terminal be more comfortable during the time they have left.

      • zeejoo@thelemmy.club
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        10 days ago

        The marketing department decided on “assisted suicide” because euthanasia is an icky word. Didn’t you get the memo?

        • chunes@lemmy.world
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          10 days ago

          They have distinct meanings. Euthanasia = someone else pushes the button. Assisted suicide = you push the button. Assisted suicide is legal in 12 states. Euthanasia is legal in 0.

    • Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe
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      10 days ago

      So you grandma is catholic.

      Let’s be clear here.

      And yes, killing someone is very problematic. I admit I don’t have the answer.

      Let’s not act like this is that simple.

      • Somebody_Else@feddit.online
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        10 days ago

        So you grandma is catholic.

        No, her doctor is, my grandma is Atheist

        Let’s be clear here.

        Its pretty fucking clear

        And yes, killing someone is very problematic. I admit I don’t have the answer.

        I do, let people die when they want to.

        Let’s not act like this is that simple.

        It really is

    • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      10 days ago

      YSK hospice basically means they starve you to death but they keep you high so you don’t care. They do not feed you, they sit you in a chair and hook you up to the drugs. Maybe that’s a better way to go than going without the drugs, but that’s pretty much what they do. Maybe some of them overdose you, I’m not really sure. It’s state assisted suicide. And it’s not quick. If it’s what people want I’m not saying to take away their choice and I’m not saying it’s an easy choice, but I wouldn’t romanticise hospice. If nothing else, look into exactly what they do and don’t do. It may vary from place to place. If you have something really bad like, say, cancer and chemo isn’t helping, and the cancer will take you before the starvation… it can be the better option. I am not familiar with Parkinson’s and I’m certainly not judging your family!

      • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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        10 days ago

        Treatment depends on condition, they don’t just starve everyone to death.

        But if someone is unable to eat, they will inevitably starve.

      • lonefighter@sh.itjust.works
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        10 days ago

        Hospice is comfort care. It’s letting the person die naturally while doping them up on pain meds so they aren’t as miserable. It’s not state assisted suicide (that’s something else), it’s about not giving additional interventions to someone who is terminal anyway and helping them be as comfortable as possible with the time they have left. If the person is able to eat they can eat, and if they can’t eat on their own that’s an additional conversation between the patient and the family and their healthcare team. Normally they would not be tube fed, but sometimes people aren’t comfortable with that and then that’s additional conversations of what needs to be done. You don’t just go on hospice and instantly get starved, people are on hospice for weeks to months, that physically couldn’t happen if they are starving everyone.