Right To Die Case Study

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This paper is designed to provide insight on the ethical dilemma related to right to die or right to live. This paper is aimed at providing insight on the case along with conducting analysis on the case study with reference to right to die and right to protect. Further the potential consequences that can occur if the wish of the patient is not fulfilled will also be discussed in this paper. Overview of the Case Mary Evelyn Greene is an 89 years old lady who has memory impairment. She lives in private room in a nursing care facility known as Shady Brook Skilled Nursing Facility. David Greene is the only son of Ms. Greene and has power of attorney to handle all the personal matters of Ms. Greene Including her health. David Greene is associated…show more content…
The Death with Dignity Act of USA is still illegal in most of the states of USA; however, in some states it has obtained the state of legality (Beckstrand, Callister, & Kirchhoff, 2006). The Death with Dignity Act does not provide any legal consequences with respect to not satisfying wish of the patient to withhold life sustaining procedures (Volicer, 2007 ) . The act has provided detailed guidance on applicability of the procedures regarding withholding life sustaining procedures and has elaborated clearly the cases and conditions where right to die can be…show more content…
Greene, the right to die can be exercised through the implication of passive euthanasia. For Ms. Greene, starvation and dehydration along with terminal sedation can be adopted as the method for fulfilling the wish of the patient of right to die. Starvation and dehydration in euthanasia refers to withdrawal of food and water for hastening death. Terminal Sedation allows the use of analgesics and sedatives in measured quantity so as to control the symptoms such as agitation, intolerable pain and anxiety etc. to relieve patient from the distress. Right to Die Versus Right to be protected In the case of Ms. Greene Right to be protected should take precedence. As Ms. Greene has not been observed of whishing the same as his son reported, she should be protected and should be observed in order to assess David’s statement. Further it should also be noted that David is the only heir of property and is struggling to pay his children educational expenses, might have mala fide intentions behind this statement. The case should be assessed on the basis that Ms. Greene neither by her words nor by her actions has expressed her desire of the speedy death. She is also not in the conditions of unbearable pain and she retains the capacity to make decisions regarding her life. According to the Death with dignity act (McCormick, 2011); Ms. Green has not given any oral or verbal consent about her decision to hasten the death. Therefore, considering all the scenarios, Ms. Greene’s

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