In the August 3^rd issue of Time Magazine Nancy Gibbs wrote an essay about the assisted suicide of an elderly British couple.  Ms Gibbs raises some very interesting issues.

The specifics in the case are as follows.  Sir Edward Downes, 85, was in failing health.  His wife, Joan, 74, has terminal liver and pancreatic cancer.  They traveled to a clinic in Switzerland where for $7,000 per patient they were given poison and died a peaceful death within a few minutes.

To quote Nancy, “The problem is that Sir Edward, while in failing health at age 85, was not dying.  His eyesight was nearly gone, his hearing was weak, and he faced the prospect of life without his soul mate.  But sorrow is not grounds for a doctor to assist in a suicide in most places that allow it.  Nor is despair.  The Netherlands permits euthanasia for those suffering intolerable pain; Oregon requires two doctors to confirm that the patient has less than six months to live.”

Nancy later concludes, “Advances in palliative care mean that those last years of life do not have to be a moral, medical and financial nightmare.  I respect Sir Edward’s right to make what his manager called a “typically brave and courageous” choice.  I just wish he’d had better choices.”

I have two comments.

First.  When my father-in-law was living with us, we tried to give him what he needed to make him content.  Although he was ten years older than Sir Edward and had multiple health conditions he never complained.  At most, he would say that he was getting old and that “something is bound to go wrong.”  He was content just to be with his family and that is one of the great advantages to home care.  They are in a place they know and cared for by people who love them.

Second.  As a volunteer at the local Veterans Hospital and Nursing Home I meet a lot of service men.  One former Marine commandeered me to help him with a life long project of his.  He wanted the Navy to upgrade his brother’s Bronze Star to the Congressional Medal of Honor.  His brother had died in combat in the Pacific theater under heroic circumstances.  The Marine asked me to type letters for him because his hands were crippled and to send them to numerous officials in Washington, D.C.

He had a mission to complete and up until the day he died he kept working on it.

Hopefully we can encourage those people we are providing elder care for to make better choices.