Memento mori
Hawaii has recently joined the growing number of states and countries where physician-assisted suicide is legalized. The law rarely allows such assistance to be provided to those who do not suffer from a fatal disease. Nevertheless, there are quite a few relatively healthy old people who believe that they live too long and claim that they also have the right to voluntarily pass away.
The media recently covered the story of David Goodall , a 104–year-old Australian scientist who went to Switzerland for assisted suicide. The public response after this story demonstrates the level of interest in the ethical dilemmas associated with the end of life. Goodall wanted to die because he no longer enjoyed life. Shortly before his death, he told reporters that he spends most of his day just sitting. "What's the use of it?" he asked.
Research shows that for old people, life is a constant struggle, social connections are increasingly difficult to maintain, and health problems make life painful. In addition, many old people experience a feeling of loneliness, fatigue, uselessness and dependence on outsiders.
Of those jurisdictions where assisted suicide is legal, some restrict its use only to cases of severe illness (for example, in Canada) or a poor prognosis for six months (for example, in California). The main attention is still paid to people with terminal diseases, because from an ethical point of view there are fewer problems: speeding up the death of someone who is already dying is not as inhumane as killing someone who is just tired of life.
Assisted suicide for psychological or existential reasons for people who want to die is unlikely to be supported by doctors. The fact is that such a justification cannot be objectively confirmed, in addition, these problems can be eliminated over time. In the Netherlands, despite the legalization of voluntary death even in the absence of a serious illness, doctors rarely agree with the unbearability of non-physical suffering and in such cases practically do not participate in assisted suicide.
Even if an old person is seriously ill, the main reason for the desire to die is often not physical suffering, but loss of independence. People in the twilight of life do not want to be a burden to others, they want to enjoy every day.
This is how David Goodall justified his choice. This means that the motivation of both terminally ill and those who are just very old and ready to leave is not so different.
Judging by the reaction of people to David Goodall's journey from Australia to Switzerland, society also does not see a clear difference. They sympathized with him and helped him in every possible way to carry out his plans.
The confusion with the attempt to distinguish the reasons that push people to such a choice probably lies in a difficult question: what does a "good" death look like? The answer does not depend on age and health status. Personality is crucial.
Opponents of associated suicide fear possible coercion of elderly people to it by guardians or family members. But elderly activists global movements continue to defend the right to die on their own terms and at the chosen time.
In light of the unprecedented aging of the population and the increase in life expectancy, it is important to remember death and think about what a good death looks like. More and more jurisdictions are passing laws allowing medical deaths. Therefore, in our time, the planned death of a 104-year-old man who died listening to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", having enjoyed his favorite dishes before this dinner, begins to seem like a good death.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on The Conversation: What does a good death look like when you're really old and ready to go?