Literature Review

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.

Supporters optimistic that aid-in-dying legislation could get vote in 2024 General AssemblyMaryland MattersDecember 4, 2023... Maryland lawmakers have tried year after year, but so far, no bill to legalize medical aid in dying has passed. But supporters of the legislation think that 2024 might be the year it passes, due to a changing political climate and overall voter support for the measure.