Week 22/2016 in the Death with Dignity Movement

Afterword: Physician-Assisted Death Concepts

Medical Aid-in-Dying Movement is Growing, but Don’t Call it “Physician Assisted Suicide”

Advocates have worked for decades to improve end-of-life options for the terminally ill, and their efforts have paid off. However, while there is growing acceptance of letting terminally ill patients choose the place and time of their death, reaching 70% in recent polls, those who oppose it often use the term, “physician-assisted suicide.” This term is rejected by terminally ill patients, who have no wish to die; however, they are dying. Physician-assisted dying simply gives them the power to choose the time of death instead of forcing them to live longer in suffering or to experience loss of autonomy and dignity.