Nadia Ullah         Information Mathematics        2nd November 2003

Assignment One

EUTHANASIA

Communication Skills

C1150


SUMMARY

According to recent research based on the death of patients with terminally ill cancer, it has been found that families tend to deal with the stress and grief of the death better if their loved ones die by euthanasia in comparison to those who die naturally.

The research conducted in the Netherlands, asked family members and close friends about signs relating to depression, grief and post-traumatic stress due to the death.  The research consisted of 510 people who had lost a family member or a close friend in the duration of 1992-1999.  Questionnaires were sent to 316 people who lost someone as a result of natural cause and 189 people who lost someone as a result of euthanasia.  The research found that family or friends of the patients who died as a result of euthanasia had less distressing symptoms than that the family or friends of patients who died a natural death.

Researchers say the results were due to the fact that family members and close friends were able to be more prepared for the death.  They had the chance to say their goodbyes, which in the case of natural death was not always possible.  People could express how they feel by speaking more openly about it.


Euthanasia is a debatable topic, which decides whether those with painful and terminal conditions or illnesses are to be provided a pain free channel of death, if asked for by them.

The word euthanasia is of Greek origin meaning easy death, the taking of life to alleviate suffering.  The meaning in medical terms is the sincerity offered, to a patient having incurable illness, by medical staff to ease the suffering or pain.

There are two main types of euthanasia:

  1. Passive        This is where a person is taken off their life support and letting them die naturally.
  2. Active         This is where a person’s life is ended before their time to die naturally.  Usually with an injection or an overdose.
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Passive euthanasia is easier for people to accept.  Even though euthanasia is illegal, the practice exists widely.

Euthanasia can either be voluntary or involuntary.  Involuntary euthanasia is in which the patient for example, a severely deformed baby is unable to express his own wishes about the matter and therefore the responsibility lies within society or someone with authority, for deciding to terminate life.  This is an unacceptable concept for most people.  Voluntary euthanasia is when the patient requests to have their life ended.

One begins to think about euthanasia as a death channel when the pain outweighs the ...

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