The Controversial Topic Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Photo 1: Introduction Most people in life have thought about death, those that are terminally ill have these thoughts more so than others. With only six months to live there are many thoughts that must run through any persons mind: Have I lived my life to the fullest? Is my family going to be okay? Am I satisfied with what I have accomplished in my lifetime? Some people are given the heart wrenching news that they only have a few months to live. But what if a loved had to spend these last few months in intolerable pain? This has brought up the controversial topic of physician-assisted suicide. In some states physician-assisted suicide has already legalized. One state that legalized physician-assisted suicide was Vermont, â€Å"In May 2013,†¦show more content†¦The use of life-ending drugs without explicit patient request occurs predominantly in hospital and among elderly patients who are mostly in an irreversible coma or demented, write Dr. Kenneth Chambaere, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, and coa uthors. (Chambaere, Kenneth) In almost all cases, the last six months of life are less than desirable and dragged out. A large amount of people fear death because of the uncertainty or worry that the patient will be in agonizing pain. For many human beings, the value of their lives is inextricably linked to the quality of their lives, and life below a subjective threshold of quality is no longer worth living, New York City doctor Jacob Appel argued in a 2012 New York Times article (â€Å"Right to Die†). Don’t you think those worried would become non-existent? By legalizing euthanasia, people are allowed to live without that extra fear of â€Å"what if†. Photo 4 5: Point 2 (Financial) There is not only the physical and emotional aspects to making this choice but also a financial way of looking at things. When a patient has six months or less to live they usually go on Hospice. Hospice is a home providing care for the sick, especially the terminally ill. In-home Hospice costs an average of $142 per day. This means that in-patient hospice care can cost upwards of $10,000 per month depending on services required. Medical debt can add up quickly and unexpectedly, while amplifying the health