PALLIATIVE CARE
Choosing to die at home with dignity
There is evidence that when patients die at home, the experience is less painful and traumatic both for patients and their loved ones, writes David Eedes
A few weeks ago, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, on the occasion of his 85th birthday, wrote a moving essay in the Washington Post in which he made an argument for choice in determining the time and manner of one’s death. His plea was to be allowed to end his life by his own choosing — when the time comes. While arguing for dignity for the dying, he also emphasised the sanctity of life and need for compassion. "Dying people should have the right to choose how and when they leave Mother Earth. I believe that, alongside the wonderful palliative care that exists, their choices should include a dignified assisted death," he writes in the article. He says he does not want to be kept alive at all costs and says too many people have to endure terrible pain against their wishes. His words have again highlighted a complex, controversial and sensitive issue in the oncology world — end-of-life care for terminally ill cancer patients. Studies show that many patients with advanced cancer prefe...
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