Pets vs. Humans: A Difference In Compassion, And In Knowing What The Patient Desires

By | Choice, Dementia, Disability, Dying, End-of-life care, Final Exit Network, Medical Aid in Dying, Suffering and Death, Surrogate, The Right to Die | 7 Comments

It’s a pillar of the RTD movement, that we treat our suffering pets more humanely than suffering friends and family members. “Let me die like a dog” has long been a call to compassion. The author went through the agonizing decision to “put down” a beloved canine companion, and he regrets not knowing what “Woody” would have wanted.

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Surrogate Challenges Can Overwhelm Even An Experienced Hospice RN

By | Advance Directives, Dementia, Disability, Dying, End-of-life care, Funeral Planning, Grief, Mental Illness, Surrogate | 2 Comments

“Sleep deprivation amplified every emotion and wore me down quickly,” she said. She was exhausted, angry, and felt guilty. She was “flying blind” to be the surrogate as Betty neared death – and she was a trained, experienced hospice RN. What does that say about your chance of being an effective surrogate?

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DWD Laws Leave More Unanswered Than They Address

By | Choice, Death With Dignity Act, Dementia, Disability, Dying, End-of-life care, Medical Aid in Dying, Mental Illness, Organ and Tissue Donation, PAD, Religion, Right-to-Die Laws, Suffering and Death, Suicide, The Right to Die | 7 Comments

On the surface, continued passage of U.S. death-with-dignity laws appears favorable for the RTD cause. But the landscape is littered with potholes, land mines, and detours that raise more questions than the new laws address.

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