Literature Review

Terminally ill N.Y.ers deserve a peaceful deathBy Jules Netherland, PhDNew York Daily NewsDecember 17, 2023At the height of the 2019 holiday season—on Christmas Eve—I received news no one wants to hear. My oncologist informed me that the lump I had found in my right breast was Stage 3 cancer, which had spread into the surrounding lymph nodes. [Click on the link above to read this author's personal story.] Enough is enough, Albany. All we’re asking for is the option to make an informed and deeply personal decision. Show me and all New Yorkers some love and let us have the option of a peaceful death on our own terms. Pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act now.

‘Weighing our options’—Ottawa open to further pause to expand assisted dying rulesMontreal GazetteDecember 15, 2023Ottawa, ON—The federal government is considering whether to pause its original plan to broaden the rules that govern medically assisted dying so they include patients whose only underlying condition is a mental disorder. “We’re weighing our options,” Justice Minister Arif Virani said Wednesday.

How medical aid in dying is bringing autonomy to end-of-life decisionsPodcast: 1AHost: Lauren HamiltonWAMU-FM (Washington, DC)/NPRDecember 12, 2023As the American population gets older, people begin to plan for what the end of their lives will look like. It’s a conversation we explored on 1A earlier this year as a part of our ongoing coverage of aging in the United States. And during that conversation, you had a lot of questions for us. ... Since the end of Roe, the debate around bodily autonomy has grown increasingly contentious. 

Is ‘medical aid in dying’ an ethical, moral choice?By Richard Feldman, MD, ColumnistCourier & Press (Evansville, IN)December 11, 2023One of my best friends, Jim, in South Bend died of an unusual intestinal cancer. This experience moved me to explore the issue of “medical aid in dying,” or MAID. Is MAID ethical and moral? Is it the right and justified choice for some individuals? After a time, unfortunately, Jim’s cancer progressed with a vengeance leaving him with extensive intestinal obstructions. Further chemo would be of little help, and further surgery was impossible. Toward the end, my friend couldn’t receive any real nutrition and could only tolerate water. He lost 65 pounds in 10 weeks and was essentially skin over bone. Jim was Catholic and religious. He was a splendid husband and father to his nine children. He worked hard, was responsible, and was a good citizen. He was a good man. The best. When I last saw him, I told him that I envied both his courage and his faith. Jim had no doubt that in passing, he was entering the next phase of his life and that he would be with God. Jim’s character and faith sustained him. His religious beliefs would not allow him to consider anything but a natural death. So, he never would have considered MAID. And of course, it’s not legal in Indiana. ... Although unmanageable symptoms despite optimal hospice care is a reason to utilize MAID, autonomy and maintaining dignity are the primary reasons MAID is chosen. These patients want control, without dependence on others for care. ... MAID is controversial, but dynamic, in the medical community. ... Although it will be a long time before Indiana considers MAID legislation, the majority of the Americans support MAID for terminal illness. Is MAID a slippery slope, an unconscionable act, or a caring act of compassion? Difficult questions.

‘Nobody speaks about this’—Diana Rigg made impassioned plea for assisted dying law before deathThe Guardian (London, England)December 9, 2023Diana Rigg made an impassioned case to legalise assisted dying in a message recorded shortly before her “truly awful” and “dehumanising” death from cancer three years ago. The actor’s statement calling for a law that gives “human beings true agency over their own bodies at the end of life”, published today in the Observer, adds to the ongoing debate on assisted dying, with MPs [Members of the British Parliament] expected to publish recommendations to the government within weeks.

Sen. Jacque—No Patient Left Alone Act advances with bipartisan supportWis PoliticsDecember 7, 2023Madison, WI—Our loved ones would never be isolated from their families and friends again under legislation that cleared a State Senate committee today protecting our right to visit those dear to us in hospitals and care facilities. State Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere), co-author of the proposal with State Rep. Chuck Wichgers, said research coming out of the pandemic has shown what we have known all along about the damage done to patients and their families by blocking human contact when they need each other most. ... Sen. Jacque said the No Patient Left Alone Act addresses these problems by allowing patients in health care facilities to receive visitors, subject to COVID-19 infections protocols, and to have in-person compassionate care visitation between a resident and any individual the resident requests to relieve physical or mental distress. ... The No Patient Left Alone Act (Senate Bill 257) passed the Senate Committee on Health earlier this morning 0n a bi-partisan 5-1 vote. It must next clear the full Senate and Assembly, and be signed by the Governor, to become law.

COVID vaccination rates ‘alarmingly’ low among nursing home staff, CDC says—’A real danger’FOX NewsDecember 7, 2023Despite the higher risk that the coronavirus poses to older adults, a surprisingly low share of nursing home staff and residents are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. Only six states are indicating that over 10% of staff members are updated on their vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.