EUTHANASIA WATCH : Living Will Power

Last week the Dutch Parliament legalized euthanasia. The already liberal Dutch policy on mercy killing has been cited often, by both sides, in debates over physician-assisted suicide in the United States. Those debates continue, fueled by the highly visible, perhaps even publicity-seeking actions of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, as well as by the quieter actions of other euthanasia advocates.

Changes may well lie ahead in U.S. or California law in this area. In the meantime, however, there are a great many options between simply prolonging the agony and ending it by suicide or euthanasia or some combination of the two. In fact, the difference between euthanasia with multiple safeguards and the available passive measures that, combined with pain relief, permit death to come more quickly can, in practice, be surprisingly small.

It is crucial, however, that medically and legally available measures be made known to those in need of them. Unfortunately, a report of the Welfare Advocacy Project, described by The Times last week, strongly suggests California’s Patient Self-Determination Act, the “living will” law, is not being observed. Sixty percent of hospitals and nursing homes could not provide on request, as required by law, a copy of the Natural Death Act Declaration, the living-will document.

Many health professionals are loath to cope with patient requests for medically assisted suicide. For that reason, among others too obvious to mention, the living will option is a useful one. They should learn more about this law and observe it.