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Essay Health, Globalisation and Human Rights euthanasia
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In this essay the case of the assisted death of persons with dementia who asked for euthanasia when they were still ‘compos mentis’ is argued.
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Assignment 2 Topic Unit 4:Grace Kaspersma
Argue the case of the assisted death of persons with dementia who asked for euthanasia
when they were still ‘compos mentis’.
Worldwide populations are ageing. This causes an increase in the global burden of late-life related
illness (Partridge et al., 2018). As a result, the number of individuals suffering from dementia is
increasing (Shankardass, 2021). Dementia is a brain condition leading to a progressive decline in
cognitive function that progressively affects a person's ability to engage in daily life (Johnston et al.,
2019). Individuals with dementia eventually lose their ability to make self-determined decisions as
their disease progresses. Still, patients suffering from dementia frequently develop guidelines for
early assisted suicide and euthanasia. However, the most important requirement for an individual to
make autonomous decisions in states that allow euthanasia is ability (Cipriani & Di Fiorino, 2019).
Dealing with such requests is difficult due to the unique medical and ethical concerns they raise, for
this reason, assisted death of persons with dementia is unethical (Cipriani & Di Fiorino, 2019).
Euthanasia is a highly contentious topic. Its opponents regard life as a primary value and argue that
individuals are not entitled to end their own lives as well as assist others in doing so (Moshe &
Gershfeld-Litvin, 2020). Advocates, on the other hand, argue that life's value cannot be detached
from the quality of life and that an individual has the right to make choices about his or her own
existence, people have the right to die in dignity (Moshe & Gershfeld-Litvin, 2020). They state that
Intractable terminal suffering deprives people of much of their dignity.
Yet, considering euthanasia as a synonym for dignified dying calls into question our society's overall
dignity (Schuurmans et al., 2019). Society is not always friendly to people suffering from dementia.
Little has been organized, individuals and their family carers must deal with problems on their own.
According to a study conducted in the Netherlands, euthanasia requests are frequently made by
family members rather than the sufferer. Many interviewees had encountered circumstances in
which family members stated that their parent's life was no longer dignified (Schuurmans et al.,
2019). Also, the extent of suffering a mental illness is more difficult to evaluate than the extent of
suffering from physical health, which is far more measurable (Moshe & Gershfeld-Litvin, 2020). It is
frequently unclear whether a formerly proclaimed desire to die is still this patient's actual desire. If
such a person later cheerfully participates in activities, the individual suffering from dementia may be
very happy (Schuurmans et al., 2019).
In conclusion, when a patient requests euthanasia while remaining compos mentis, this request
should not be honored when they suffer from dementia and are not able to explain themselves.
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