Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Euthanasia
- The Basics
- It is the termination of a person's life to
relieve them of their suffering. Usually
people who under go it, have incurable
diseases.
- It is derived from the Greek
word 'euthanatos' , which
means 'easy death'.
- It is against the law in
the UK, and it is illegal to
help someone kill
themselves. It can lead
to imprisonment of up to
14 years.
- Types of Euthanasia
- Voluntary Euthanasia
- A person, usually with a painful, terminal
disease who is unable to do anything for
themselves, asks someone else to kill them
painlessly.
- Non Voluntary Euthanasia
- A person is not kept alive because they are regarded as having a life
worse than death, but cannot make decisions for themselves - eg;
Babies born with abnormalities, people on life support machines and
considered clinically brain dead, and those who are in a coma.
- Passive Euthanasia
- No action is taken to prolong a life, but no
deliberate action is taken to end it. E.g - If a
person with terminal cancer has a heart
attack, there would be no attempt to
resuscitate them.
- Active Euthanasia
- Deliberate action is taken to end a life, such as
the administration of a lethal injection,
overdose of drugs or withdrawing a life
supporting drug or machine.
- Involuntary Euthanasia
- A person who wants to live, but is
killed anyways. Usually murder, but
not always.
- Pallative Care
- Medical, emotional, spiritual care given to
a person who is terminally ill, and is
aimed at reducing suffering rather than
curing (Hospice Movement)
- Living Will
- A document stating a patients wishes of
how they want to be treated if they
become seriously ill and unable to
communicate.
- The Hospice Movement
- Terminally ill people who are dying
of illnesses like AIDs or Cancer are
cared for in Hospices until they die.
- People are psychologically
and spiritually prepared for
death.
- A hospice is a hospital for the terminally
ill, run on a personal basis with experts
to care for people.
- Respite care.
- Leaving a loved one with
special needs in the care of
another party.
- Hospices strongly uphold the Christian
teaching that life is a value as it is created by
God.