Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethics: Theory and Practice Jacques P. Thiroux Keith W. Krasemann
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Vocabulary Review Allowing Someone to Die, Mercy Death, and Mercy Killing
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms Euthanasia
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Euthanasia Euthanasia originally meant “good death,” but more recently means mercy killing
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms Allowing someone to die
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Allowing Someone to Die Allowing someone to die involves both not starting curative treatment when no cure is possible and stopping treatment when it is no longer able to cure a dying patient – It means allowing a dying patient to die a natural death without any interference from medical science
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms Mercy death
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Mercy Death Mercy death is the taking of a direct action in order to terminate a patient’s life because the patient has voluntarily requested it – essentially an assisted suicide
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms Mercy killing
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Mercy Killing Mercy killing is the taking of a direct action to terminate a patient’s life without his or her permission
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms Extraordinary means to keep people alive
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Extraordinary Means Extraordinary means to keep people alive are those that involve a grave burden for oneself or another, and they vary according to circumstances involving persons, places, times, and cultures – Such measures as radical surgery, radiation therapy, respirators, and heart machines probably fall in this category
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms Ordinary means to keep people alive
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Ordinary Means Ordinary means also are difficult to define, but for terminally ill patients they would include controlling pain and other symptoms as opposed to performing radical surgery or using respirators or heart machines – Appropriate or inappropriate care are sometimes more suitable terms
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms Patient Self-Determination Act
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Patient Self-Determination Act The act was passed with a view to giving patients a number of rights: – The right to considerate and respectful care – The right to make decisions involving their health care, including accepting/refusing treatment, formulating advance directives, appointing a surrogate – The right to acquire the information they require in order to make treatment decisions
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definition of Terms The Hospice Approach to Care for the Dying
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Hospice Approach to Care for the Dying The hospice approach can solve most of the problems surrounding allowing someone to die, and often it can eliminate the necessity for mercy death and mercy killing – Emphasis on comforting and caring for patients rather than curing or healing them – Team approach to provide support for patients and families – Pain and symptom control