The debate over an early request for medical assistance in dying for people with Alzheimer’s has been simmering for a long time. It reappears with the bill tabled by the CAQ government to expand medical assistance in dying.
It is understood that such a request might only be made by a person in full possession of his faculties and well in advance of the severe manifestations of the disease.
This anticipation leads to a certain vagueness depending on the state in which the person will be at a more advanced stage of the disease. His life might be joyful and satisfying.
medical progress
More worryingly, will this extension of the law constitute an obstacle in the search for effective treatments and the provision of support resources for people affected?
There will be one million Canadians contracting this disease by the end of the decade. Society should be more concerned with curing them and keeping them alive than encouraging them to clear the floor!
Ensuring that people will die with dignity is a noble concern, but it cannot surpass the objective of ensuring that these sick people live in dignity.
Deploying more resources for research and support for the families of people with Alzheimer’s should be the government’s top priority.
More love and less rushing to death strike me as happier choices.
To friends
I have seen the number of friends affected by cognitive problems multiply almost exponentially around me.
I understand the distress felt by the relatives and the desire on the part of the patient not to become a burden for them.
However, I am concerned regarding the lack of progress in the fight once morest the disease and the apparent government defection.
Does medical assistance in dying turn into assisted suicide for Alzheimer’s?
