Family involvement in euthanasia or Physician Assisted Suicide and dementia: A systematic review

Scheeres‐Feitsma, Trijntje M.; Laarhoven, Angela J. J. M. Keijzer van; Vries, Ralph de; Schaafsma, Petruschka; Steen, Jenny T. van der

doi:10.1002/alz.13094

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 49 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Yet unlike [ 49 ], who found that family caregivers describe their experience as participating in a “race to the end,” while attempting to create an ideal dying experience for the patient, some participants in this study questioned the individual’s decision, even actively postponing the execution of their plan or setting certain limitations. These findings therefore add to the literature, whereby family members take responsibility regarding their loved-ones’ wish to die, implementing their subjective moral obligation to actively prevent or assist them in carrying out their wishes [ 50 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Views, Attitudes and Challenges When Supporting a Family Member in Their Decision to Travel to Switzerland to Receive Aid-In-Dying

Sperling

2024

Int J Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectivesExploring the experiences, perceptions and meanings of family members and close friends of Israeli individuals who sought aid-in-dying outside Israel.MethodsUsing the phenomenological-interpretive approach, a qualitative research design was employed, based on ten in-depth semi-structured interviews with Israelis who had provided support for a relative who embarked on suicide tourism.ResultsThe following five themes emerged from interviews: (1) facilitators for supporting an individual requesting suicide tourism; (2) choosing death and actively making the decision to die; (3) the meaning of traveling to die; (4) offering support throughout the process; and (5) facilitating procedures after death.ConclusionThe participants spoke of the active role that they played in their relative’s suicide-tourism journey. They conveyed conflicting emotions and values regarding the decision at hand, the ability to say goodbye thanks to their pre-planned death, helping to reduce their suffering and burden, and dealing with the challenge of disclosing the deceased’s plans, before and after the act, as well as their own involvement in the process. Relatives of suicide-tourism patients should receive professional support during and following this difficult process.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Views, Attitudes and Challenges When Supporting a Family Member in Their Decision to Travel to Switzerland to Receive Aid-In-Dying

Sperling

2024

Int J Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Tis paper, therefore, explores how existing ways of understanding grief and bereavement may apply to the setting of VAD. Some of the key concerns expressed about euthanasia focus on the emotional burden of end-of-life decisionmaking and the moral complexity for family members and carers [14][15][16]. Yet, studies that compare caregiver bereavement experiences with and without assisted dying report similar or improved bereavement experiences for family and friends following assisted dying [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Voluntary Assisted Dying on Grief and Bereavement for Family Members and Carers in the Australian State of Victoria: A Qualitative Study

La Brooy,

Russell,

Lewis

et al. 2024

Health & Social Care in the Community

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Prior to its introduction in Australia, many people opposed euthanasia—or voluntary assisted dying as it is known—because of its potentially detrimental impact on grief and bereavement outcomes for family members and carers. We examine the novel experiences of grief and bereavement of VAD for family members and carers who were going through, had gone through, or were contemplating VAD, juxtaposing the international literature on grief and bereavement. As such, 42 semistructured interviews with family members and carers were undertaken in the state of Victoria, which was the first jurisdiction to legislate in favour of VAD. Interviews explored many themes around end-of-life decision-making in order to ascertain the ways in which VAD helped or hindered grief and bereavement processes. A thematic analysis of the interview data was undertaken using QSR NVivo software. Four key themes were identified: values and meaning-making, expression of a continuing bond, anticipatory grief, and the burden of care associated with supporting loved ones going through VAD. These themes were juxtaposed with the key literature on grief and bereavement to demonstrate how VAD presents novel challenges for carers. We argue that while VAD deaths share similar characteristics to other deaths; in some respects, grief and bereavement outcomes for family members and carers are unique. For family members and carers helping a loved one go through VAD, they were able to derive a sense of meaning from fulfilling their wishes and striving for them to have a “good death”; they were able to maintain a bond with them through advocacy of VAD and unique rituals; and they were able to plan and prepare effectively by knowing the exact time of death. Family members and carers also noted that VAD presents some significant challenges for grief and bereavement, especially in terms of the impact of VAD on familial relationships and burdens associated with moral predicaments. Nonetheless, VAD was generally viewed positively by family members and carers, who expressed gratitude for mitigating their loved one’s suffering.

show abstract

“…Requests related to dementia are the most growing while raising ethical and legal issues due to these patients' diminished competent ( 10 ). Overall, the wish for EUT arises in situations of burdensome care and fear of future deterioration and suffering ( 11 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older adults' attitudes toward using Euthanasia at the end-of life: cancer vs. Parkinson's disease

Lifshitz,

Bachner,

Carmel

2024

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThere is a paucity of studies that compare older adults' attitudes toward Euthanasia in two different terminal illnesses. Moreover, these studies did not relate to potentially influencing psycho-social factors. The current study aimed to examine the impact of a diverse range of variables on attitudes among older adults toward Euthanasia in two medical conditions: cancer and Parkinson's disease.MethodsA total of 501 individuals aged 75 and above participated in the study. Attitudes toward Euthanasia were measured using vignettes which described two conditions: an 80-year-old man with metastatic cancer and another man in an advanced stage of Parkinson's disease. The questionnaire included measures of relevant experience (with a close family member or a friend dying from a terminal illness), self-efficacy, will to live, satisfaction with life, will to prolong life, fear of death and dying, social support, and psycho-social characteristics. The data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression models.ResultsA more positive attitude toward Euthanasia was found in the case of cancer compared to Parkinson's disease. Being a woman, having more years of education, lower level of religiosity, greater fear of death and dying and higher self-efficacy contributes to more favorable attitudes toward Euthanasia in both end-of life conditions.ConclusionsThe finding that attitudes toward Euthanasia are statistically significantly more positive in the case of cancer compared to Parkinson's disease can be attributed to the greater prevalence of cancer in the population, and to the public's awareness of the suffering associated with each of these medical conditions. Beyond the important role of the socio-demographic characteristics of gender, education, and religiosity, it appears that fear of death and dying and self-efficacy are important psychological factors in explaining attitudes toward Euthanasia in both illnesses among older people. These findings shed light on older adults' attitudes toward Euthanasia in debilitating illnesses.

show abstract

Family involvement in euthanasia or Physician Assisted Suicide and dementia: A systematic review

Cited by 5 publications

References 49 publications

Views, Attitudes and Challenges When Supporting a Family Member in Their Decision to Travel to Switzerland to Receive Aid-In-Dying

Views, Attitudes and Challenges When Supporting a Family Member in Their Decision to Travel to Switzerland to Receive Aid-In-Dying

The Impact of Voluntary Assisted Dying on Grief and Bereavement for Family Members and Carers in the Australian State of Victoria: A Qualitative Study

Older adults' attitudes toward using Euthanasia at the end-of life: cancer vs. Parkinson's disease

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About