The Mental Capacity Act 2005

The Mental Capacity Act 2005
Answer: Introduction: The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005) introduced a statutory framework for advance decision making in England and
Wales building upon the common law recognition of advance decisions. Academics considered that a bias may operate against upholding advance
decisions refusing life–sustaining treatment 1. It's commonly felt that judges usually give decisions favouring preservation of life and making advance
decisions invalid on various grounds. Recent case–law indicates that a high level of specificity is required for advance refusals of life–sustaining
treatment and, in some capacity must be demonstrated at the time of making the decision. This essay will argue the legal back ground of the
advance decisions and relevant case law. There are suggestions that advance care planning (ACP) instead of advance decisions (ADRT) may be
more helpful when it comes to the practice of law on ground 2. The Mental Capacity Act 2005: The MCA 2005 introduced the statutory framework
for the advance decisions as follows: "A decision made by a person ('P') after he has reached 18 and when he has capacity to do so, that if – (a) at a
later time and in such circumstances as he may specify, a specified treatment is proposed to be carried out or continued by a person providing health
care for him, and (b) at that time he lacks capacity to consent to the carrying out or continuation of the treatment, the specified treatment is not to be
carried out or
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Terri Schiavo Case
The case of Terri Schiavo is a landmark case that involved a fifteen year battle over whether or not to provide life support for Terri Schiavo who
was 26 years old when she collapsed in her bedroom in February of 1990. According to Munson (2012), Terri Schiavo's husband Michael Schiavo,
claimed to have woken to the sound of a thud at approximately four a.m. and found Terri unconscious on the floor. He called 911, but Terri had
suffered cardiac arrest and by the time she was resuscitated she had suffered irreversible brain damage.
Neurologists examined Terri and diagnosed her with irreversible brain damage caused by the lack of oxygen during her cardiac arrest. The doctors
eventually diagnosed Terri as being in a persistent vegetative state ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As a member of the Republican Party and presidential hopeful for 2016, Governor Bush was apparently not going to miss this opportunity to gain
favor with conservative voters. The American Nurses Association summed it up well when they stated, "It is unfortunate that Terri Schiavo has now
become the symbol of so many political agendas." (Blakeney, 2005)
From the utilitarian standpoint, the taxpayers of the State of Florida stood to expend an inordinate amount resources to keep one person alive who by
most accounts no longer had full moral standing. The harsh reality of this situation is many taxpayers could have used the healthcare resources that
were expended on one person.
The disabled community voiced concerns that if Terri's artificial nutrition and hydration were removed this would "initiate a cascading disregard for
disabled persons or others who are judged to have poor quality of life." (Perry et al., 2005, p. 747). As Perry, Churchill, and Kirshner point out this is
a gross overgeneralization. Those individuals voicing concern with this issue likely do not understand the differences between PVS and many other
forms of disability. "Stressing liberty as the fundamental issue means precisely that individuals will be able to choose for themselves..." (Perry et al.,
2005, p.

Persuasive Essay On Right To Die
The Right to Live and Die
Euthanasia encompasses various topics from active euthanasia (introducing something to cause death, in most cases this is a lethal injection of
barbiturates), to passive euthanasia which is withholding treatment or support measures such as removing feeding tubes or not performing a lifesaving
surgery at the wishes or consent of the patients (voluntary) or the guardian (involuntary) and physician assisted suicide where a doctor prescribes the
medicine and the patient voluntarily on their own take it to cause death. To better understand the difference betweeneuthanasia and assisted suicide,
John E. Ferguson, author of the book "The Right to Die" defines them separately. Euthanasia is, "the act or practice of killing or bringing about the
death of a person who suffers from an incurable disease or condition, especially a painful one, for reasons of mercy" (Ferguson 20) whereas assisted
suicide is defined in Ferguson's book as, "the intentional act of providing a person with the medical means or medical knowledge to kill themselves"
(Ferguson 21). This paper will explore the pros and cons of The right to die movement as well as the ethical and human rights controversy surrounding
the subject as it pertains to patients in comas like The Terri Schiavo's Case and physician–assisted suicide.
The Pros and Cons
As with any controversial matter there is always a list of pros and cons to be addressed. The most talked about benefit of legalizing Euthanasia,

Essay about Clinical Ethics: The Case of Terri Shiavo
I have chosen to discuss the case of Terri Shiavo which was a very big ethical case back in 2005. She had been left on a ventilator for 15 years. So let's
start from the beginning. On February 25, 1990 Terri Schiavo had a cardiac arrest that was causes by extreme hypokalemia (low potassium) brought
on by an eating disorder (Quill, 2005). As a result of this cardiac arrest Terri developed severe hypoxic– ischemic encephalopathy which is another
way of saying lack of oxygen to the brain (Quill, 2005). During this period she exhibited no evidence of brain function and eventually scans of her
brain showed severe atrophy of her cerebral hemispheres (Quill, 2005). Her electroencephalograms were fat, indicating no functional activity of the...
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Schiavo accepted the doctors diagnosis of persistent vegetative and decided he wanted to remove her from the ventilator (Quill, 2005). The article
says he was recalling prior statements that his wife had made, such as "I don't want to be kept alive on a machine" (Quill, 2005). This is the part where
things get tricky. Terri's parents (the Schindler family) disagreed and did not accept the diagnosis, they believed that Ms. Schiavo's condition would
improve if they continued to provide rehabilitative treatment (citation).
The fight between Mr. Schiavo and the Schindler family began in 1993 which is three years after Terri's diagnoses. The fight continued between
the parents and husband, Terri's feeding tube was removed in 2001, put back in, removed again in 2003 and a third time on March 18, 2005
(Quill, 2005). Congress then passed an "emergency measure" that was signed by the president in an effort to force federal courts to review this
case and create a legal mandate for her feeding tube to be reinserted yet again (Quill, 2005). The district court of Florida denied the emergency
request and this decision was upheld on appeal, multiple appeals were denied and Ms. Schiavo died March 31, 2005 (Quill, 2005). Therefore, Terri
was on a ventilator in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years.
Let's break down this case based on the four principles of our textbook. We will

Essay On Universal Patient's Bill Of Rights
What would happen if you were seriously hurt or sick and could not speak for yourself? Would your family or friends know what you wanted for
medical care? Would you want to live in a nursing home, possibly connected to "tubes," without a means to communicate or care for yourself? How
would you define "quality of life"? Have you ever discussed with them what your wishes are if you were unable to speak for yourself? Do you have
your wishes written down anywhere? Would it make their decision easier if they knew what your wishes were? As health care consumers, everyone has
certain rights; this is often referred to as a Patient's Bill of Rights. While there is not a universal Patient's Bill of Rights, it typically addresses an
individual's right to information concerning their condition and treatment options, and autonomy over their medical treatment decisions. This means
that individuals have the right to choose what medical treatments they may or may not want to receive. You have the right to refuse treatment that has
been recommended by your treating physician, as long as you understand the nature and consequences of the health care decision, even if it might
prolong your life (Patients, 2016.) Pharmacological and medical technology advances can prolonged life through the development of life sustaining
therapies such as antibiotics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes and hemodialysis (HD). While these
advances prolong life,

Terri Schiavo Should NOT Have Been Kept Alive Essay
Terri Schiavo Should NOT Have Been Kept Alive
Does a written document such as a living will decide when someone should die or should the verbal wishes of the incapacitated person be followed if
known? Such as the controversy over when life begins, we now face the ultimate question of when does life end. In 1990, Terri Schiavo, a young
Florida woman suffered a heart attack caused by bulimia leaving her brain without oxygen for six minutes. According to medical opinions, she has
limited involuntary physical movement. She has remained in a persistent vegetative state ever since. Terri did not have a living will or medical
directive in place at the time of her heart attack.
Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband, has repeatedly sought the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Their wish is to seek rehabilitation therapy for their daughter in hopes she can regain a normal life. The Schindler's maintain Michael Schiavo is
abusive and neglectful of his wife's medical condition. Furthermore, they claim he wishes her death so he can inherit her remaining estate. It is their
wish to be granted guardianship over her medical care and financial estate (Martinez & Kampert, 2003).
Additionally, the Schindlers impassioned pleas to save their daughters life to the residents of Florida resulted in more than 100,000 communications to
Governor Jeb Bush requesting he sign legislation making it illegal to remove Terri's feeding tube. As a result the governor intervened and signed
"Terri's Law" allowing her feeding tube to be reinserted. As recently as October 2004, Governor Bush stated "I personally don't want to be a party to
removing a feeding tube that causes us to take an innocent life" (Bell, 2004). However emphatically the Governor supports this law, the Florida
Supreme Court denied his request to reconsider it's ruling in favor of removing Terri's feeding tube. The date for removal has not been set.
The Value of Life
Most of us in the course of a lifetime will be confronted in our own families with difficult choices on matters of life and death. There are many
opinions on when life begins and now it also seems as to when life ends. Does life end when a person takes their last breath, is it

Autonomy Vs Paternalism
Life is a struggle and some people want to end that struggle, either by suicide or with the assistance of a physician. Sometimes that struggle puts some
people in an unconscious state of mind for weeks, months or even years, so the rational being despite close relations to the individual would command
them to be euthanized. Autonomy and Paternalism are at odds when it comes to the topic of euthanasia, an individual should have the autonomy to
request a physician's assistance for suicide. As well as physicians should have the paternalism to euthanized those in a vegetative state if they believe
euthanasia is the moral choice because their survival is a devastation on medical resources then so be it. Those favoring euthanasia tend to argue for ...
The second weakness of euthanasia is that it gives the power to health providers, the state or guardian to play God, the main point with this argument
is that involuntary euthanasia goes against the individual autonomy. However, going back to Karen Quinlan case where the court overshadowed the
little of autonomy Karen had "Karen Quinlan [is to] be kept alive, against her and the will of her family" (Munson, 556). Karen's autonomy was not
considered by the court, how about if she would voluntary want to be euthanized instead of being kept in a PVS for ten years, guess that sustaining her
life was more important even though she cannot benefit society or anyone else. The court acted wrongly and should have paternalism demand the
discontinuous of Karen's life support for her family well–being and for the physicians. Dr. Morse was the one physician who was given the duty to stop
Karen's life support but declines later on because he felt that he did not have that high level of paternalism to take away someone's life. However,
Karen's parents had a much higher level of paternalism by paying Karen's medical support and by being her guardian regardless of what the court has
said of Karen being legal age. This cannot apply when the individual is in a state of PVS where their autonomy is almost

Aruna Shanbaug Case
Supreme Court of India Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug vs Union Of India & Ors. on 7 March, 2011 Bench: Markandey Katju, Gyan Sudha
Misra REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION (CRIMINAL) NO. 115
OF 2009 Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug .. Petitioner –versus– Union of India and others .. Respondents J U D G M E N T Markandey Katju, J.
&quot;Marte hain aarzoo mein marne ki Maut aati hai par nahin aati&quot; –– Mirza Ghalib 1. Heard Mr. Shekhar Naphade, learned senior
counsel for the petitioner, learned Attorney General for India for the Union of India Mr. Vahanvati, Mr. T. R. Andhyarujina, learned Senior Counsel,
whom we had appointed as amicus curiae, Mr. Pallav Sisodia, learned senior counsel... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The prayer of the petitioner is that the respondents be directed to stop feeding Aruna, and let her die peacefully. 4. We could have dismissed this
petition on the short ground that under Article 32 of the Constitution of India (unlike Article 226) the petitioner has to prove violation of a
fundamental right, and it has been held by the Constitution Bench decision of this Court in Gian Kaur vs. State of Punjab, 1996(2) SCC 648 (vide
paragraphs 22 and 23) that the right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution does not include the right to die. Hence the petitioner has not
shown violation of any of her fundamental rights. However, in view of the importance of the issues involved we decided to go deeper into the
merits of the case. 5 5. Notice had been issued by this Court on 16.12.2009 to all the respondents in this petition. A counter affidavit was earlier filed
on behalf of the respondent nos.3 and 4, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Dean, KEM Hospital by Dr. Amar Ramaji Pazare, Professor and
Head in the said hospital, stating in paragraph 6 that Aruna accepts the food in normal course and responds by facial expressions. She responds to
commands intermittently by making sounds. She makes sounds when she has to pass stool and urine which the nursing staff identifies and

Ethical Issues Essays
Ethical Issues
Autonomy – The ideal of self–determination is the basis for autonomy. It is important that a patient be allowed to decide what should be done to his
or her own body. In other words, nobody else has the right to assert their power over another. Likewise, a physician should be allowed to decide not
to perform a procedure if doing so would conflict with his or her values. In the Cruzan case, Nancy's autonomy by way of her parents' substituted
judgment was overridden in favor of the State of Missouri's policy to preserve life. Although the Supreme Court did not deny that Nancy had the right to
refuse nutrition/hydration, there was not enough clear and convincing evidence to know that refusal was what Nancy truly ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The State did not actually contest Nancy's right to refuse treatment. The State wanted to make absolutely certain that there was a standard of evidence
available to protect the patient in the case that the surrogates were not acting on behalf of the patient's wishes. Furthermore, disrespecting Nancy's
autonomy would have done more harm than good to the profession of medicine. Patients want reassurance that the physician will not override their
decisions in an act of paternalism (as well–intended as the physician may be). Lastly, the physician may have a conflict with withdrawing treatment, but
he or she must distinguish the difference between withholding a desired treatment versus withdrawing a treatment that is unwanted.
Competency – When discussing ethical issues concerning health care, competency refers not only to the ability of a patient to make a decision, but
also to the ability of the patient to understand that decision. Included in comprehending the decision is also the patients understanding the
consequences of his or her decision on both oneself and others. The determination of patient competency is not measured on any standard scale, but
rather a common sense determination made by the physician. In order to make that determination, the physician must realize that the patient need not
understand necessarily how the treatment works, but rather the consequences of accepting various treatments or refusing

Importance of Advance Directives
The Importance of Advance Directives Tara J. DiDonato Axia College of University of Phoenix The Importance of Advance Directives While
most people do not speak about end of life issues either because of their background or religion, it is not only for the elderly, we should all make
our wishes known. According to the Pew Research Center, (January 2006), "42% of Americans have had a friend or relative suffer from a terminal
illness or coma in the last five years and for a majority of these people , the issue of withholding life sustaining treatment came up". Although many
people feel it is taboo, all adults over the age of 18 should think about what their healthcare wishes would be if they could not speak for themselves.
These... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
5. Palliative Care is comfort that is provided when death is imminent. This type of care includes pain medication and oxygen. Although these are just
some types of situations that may arise, there are areas which are more difficult to plan for but being vocal about our wishes will help our loved ones
if the time comes when a decision needs to be made. High–profile cases in the news. There have been numerous cases in the media regarding people
who have fallen ill and did not have an advance directive in place. In cases such as these the decision falls on the patients family members. At
times family members do not agree and courts need to get involved to decide what medical treatment is appropriate. Terry Schiavo, Husband vs.
Parents. One of the most famous cases in recent years is the case of Terri Schiavo. According to Yates, Jr. (2005), about 17 years ago Terri Schiavo's
heart stopped. Her brain was deprived of oxygen for an unknown length of time. This lack of oxygen resulted in permanent brain damage. Terri was
able to breathe on her own; she received artificial nutrition and hydration, along with routine medical care and rehabilitation. Yates, Jr. (2005) stated,
"Perhaps the most important issues concerning medical decision making was that no one knew exactly what Terri Schiavo wanted to have done on her
behalf" (В¶ 4). Since she did not have her wishes documented, her surviving spouse became her spokesperson.

Nancy Cruzan 's Case Analysis
Nancy Cruzan Case Analysis The story of Nancy Cruzan is a story that may be extremely controversial regarding what is right versus what is wrong,
although this woman has changed both the world of medicine and legality since her death in 1990. Cruzan experienced a tragic car accident and was
declared to be in a persistent vegetative state by physicians. The controversial part of the story is in regards to whether she should have a tube feeding
continued or if it should be discontinued. The purpose of this paper is to further explore Cruzan's background story, how protestors affected her case,
ethical principles, how healthcare has been affected, the meaning of her gravestone, and the impact on her family.
Background
On January 11, 1983, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Missouri state Supreme Court ultimately stated that they could not grant the Cruzan's the legal right to have the feeding tube removed on
November 16, 1988.
On June 25, 1990, the family appeals to the United States Supreme Court, but the court denied their request once again. On August 30, 1990, Cruzan's
parent request a second hearing from Judge Charles Teel because they believed that they had enough new evidence to prove that their daughter would
rather die, than to want to live this way. Finally on December 14, 1990, Judge Teel declares that the parents have the authority to have the feeding tube
removed (Chicago Tribune, 1990). After the feeding tube was removed, Nancy Cruzan passed away peacefully on December 26, 1990.
Protestors
There were protestors who stood outside of the hospital that Cruzan was in, who felt very differently than Cruzan's parents regarding Nancy's situation.
Protestors argued that the parents were starving their daughter to death. Protestors camped outside of the hospital and held prayer sessions in her honor.
On December 18, 1990, nineteen protestors were actually arrested for attempting to enter the hospital to reattach Cruzan's feeding tube after it was
removed. Some of the protestors went to court seven times to have the court re–inforce Cruzan's feeding tube, but they were denied because they had
no legal standing to intervene. (Lewin, 1990). Arrests were made for unlawful assembly and trespassing charges. The protestors were

Terri Schiavo Case Summary
Without a living will Terri Schiavo, an individual who collapsed and was unable to communicate her final scenario of how she preferred to end her
life or pursue an alternative given her circumstances, commenced a highly complex legal discussion within the U.S court system. Being incapable of
conveying her end of life issues and neglecting to appoint a health care power of attorney proceeding her condition, Schiavo's family did not know
what her wishes were. With conflicting notions from the medical, judicial, as well as personal dispositions, Schiavo's case and her life were in the
hand of morally conflicted others (Cavanaugh & Blanchard–Fields, 2011, Jennings, 2010).
Without advanced directives, Schiavo's situation formulated tension within legal and healthcare communities. Several physicians proclaimed Schiavo
was in a persistent vegetative state, diagnosing her with no higher order of brain functioning to be able to conceive collective thoughts, while other
health care providers disagreed. Additionally, Schiavo's parents and husband had adverse sentiments towards what actions to proceed with Schiavo's
state, arising contradictory conceptions within the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Depending on the context of how an individual resulted in a state where they were unable to transmit their feelings on if they want to decline or desire
to prolong their existence and the connections others around them, should predict who has the power to make medical decisions on the one in
question's behalf. In Schiavo's case, she had a medical emergency that resulted in her decline of being unable to communicate her end of life desires,
considering her relationship with her loved ones, the closest individual with the highest understanding of her wants should have the authority over her

Life Support Argumentative Essay
"However, all our attempts failed. They have suffered irreversible loss of brain function and there are no more electrical impulses being sent
between brain cells. I am sorry, but we've exhausted all our resources, they are brain dead." These are more or less the first words a family or person
in relation would hear from the physician that was last taking care of their loved one. The concept of brain–death is difficult for some to comprehend
when dealing with a tragic loss, not hearing that a person is completely and utterly dead can blind a relative to what is really happening. The proper
definition of "brain–dead" is an irreversible form of unconsciousness characterized by a complete loss of brain function while the heart continues to
beat.... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A treatment may be beneficial if it relieves suffering, restores functioning, or enhances the quality of life. The same treatment can be considered
wearing if it causes pain or prolongs the dying process without offering benefit. A person's decision to resist life support is personal, and in some
states is determined by a living will. (M. Luce and A. Alpers American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Page 2029–2032) There are
different life support treatments to help prolong the life of a patient. There are medical devices to aid breathing, provide food and water, and for
administering medications. But they all have benefits and disadvantages. In some cases, they alleviate one condition but make another even worse.
Artificial nutrition and hydration use tubes that can damage the esophagus, stomach, intestine, and even the lining of nose. When surgery is needed to
insert the tubes, the risk of bleeding or infection is high. When fluid leaks out of intravenous lines and on to the skin, it can also lead to inflammation
and infection. Overly frail patients are also at risk of fluid overload that may lead to difficulty in breathing, and dangerous infections when TPN enters
the blood stream. One of the most famous cases of life on Life–Support is Terri Schiavo. Due to an immense imbalance of potassium levels, Schiavos'
body essentially crashed and stopped sending oxygen to her brain for 10 minutes. After 8 years, her husband Michael Schiavo accepted the permanence
of her state and went into the first stages of removing life–support. Terri had communicated years before her incident that she never wanted to be
hooked up to a life support machine should the situation ever arise. However, her parents would not allow Michael to withdraw life supportive care
and this created a national epidemic on a persons right to live. In 2003, the State Legislature passed a bill giving the governor the

Taking a Look at a Coma
A coma – also known as a persistent vegetative state– is a very deep state of unconsciousness which will last more than six hours, and in which the
person is still very much alive, with normal breathing cycles, but can't respond to any stimuli, or his/her surrounding environment. This can usually be
tested by medics putting the individual through (normally) painful and/or problematic stimulants. The patient is also unable to move, see, hear or speak.
The coma takes away higher brain functions, thinking capacities and awareness of surroundings, but the usual circulation, breathing and cognitive
sleeping patterns are still kept. The coma can take place as a result of extreme injuries (head injuries are most common), or as a product of several
underlying diseases or infections; a large variety of causes.
The 'coma' comes from the Greek word 'koma' meaning 'state of sleep.' Coma in the past was very much of an unsolved enigma. People couldn't see
the reasons of people falling into a death–like sleep, but still breathing and carrying out normal sleep patterns. They didn't know of any treatment to
cure this mysterious disease, so they could only leave the people in their comas, deciding that time was the only cure, but also allowing the people
succumb to the usual infections which are picked up from the patient's immobility while in the coma itself.
Over time, comas have been treated far better with the research done through time. But, despite the rather weird situation, films

Doctor Assisted Suicide Research Paper
The right to doctor assisted suicide is a very controversial topic throughout the world. Some believe that it is morally incorrect, whereas others feel
empathy for the suffering who wish to put an end to the pain. Without a doubt, patients should have the right to put an end to life when suffering or
when death is imminent. With the help of doctor assisted suicide, healthcare implications are lessened, the burden on families is relieved and patients
suffering can come to an end. These are some of the reasons why doctor assisted suicide needs be legalized in all parts of the world.
Medical costs can add up, procedures and medications can be expense resulting in increased medical insurance. Prolonging a life of a person in
vegetative state ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Allowing terminally ill, patients facing imminent death and people in excruciating pain the right to end life relieves the suffering and pain they
are experiencing. These people with incurable diseases and conditions do not want to live the last days of life in a hospital room in immense pain,
attached to tubes and machines that are the difference between life and death. Many people do not understand the perspective from a patient's
point of view unless, they are in this situation, in the unbearable pain that makes each day painful. This was the case for Brittany Maynard, a
twenty nine year old woman who was diagnosed with glioblastoma. She was told that she only had six months to live because of her terrible tumor,
there is no cure for her disease and she new she would die. The best option for her situation seemed to be assisted suicide. Brittany and her husband
moved to Oregon, which is one of the few states that has legalized assisted suicide in order to pursue her wish of ending her life. According to
Brittany "I've discussed with many experts how I would die from it and it's a terrible, terrible way to die. So being able to choose to go with dignity
is less terrifying." Being able to have a choice and dignity does not make patients weak and does not mean that they are giving up, it simply means
they do not want to remember life to be painful and have their family members have this as their last

Terri SchiavoВґs Life Story
In the early months of 2005, Terri Schiavo's life story, involving her persistent vegetative state (PVS) captured the worldwide spotlight and brought
up controversial issues surrounding guardian care of the patient, as well as the overall decisions made by Congress. The government involvement
in her case impeded any decisions the family and spouse could properly address for the well being of Schiavo (Montero 166). The governmental
court system in Terri Schiavo's case behaved immorally in regard to the eventual removal of her feeding tube. In 1990, Schiavo suddenly
collapsed in her house at the age of 26. Oxygen was depleted to her brain for several minutes as she lay unconscious on the ground. The cause of
her collapse sent both her doctors and nurses into disarray because there was not a specific pinpoint reason for her collapse. Her husband, Michael
Schiavo, suspected the collapse was due to a cardiac arrest from a potassium imbalance due to her suspected bulimia. Her parents, Bob and Mary
Schindler, believed her fall was rendered by strangulation from Michael Schiavo, which caused the depletion of oxygen to her brain. Once admitted
into the hospital, further examinations concurred that she did not suffer any heart or strangulation injuries. Once in the hospital, doctors and nurses
examined Terri and concluded she was in a coma, which then would evolve into a vegetative state (Montero 167). Patients will normally enter into a
coma, which resembles a sleep state of

Essay On Terri Shiavo
They were the subjects of public disputes with family members, court systems, medical professionals, the media, and society at large. Terri Schiavo,
Nancy Cruzan and Karen Ann Quinlan; their names are synonymous with permanent vegetative state (PVS). The amazing technological advancements
in modern medicine has been credited with keeping persons alive who in times past would have died, therefore this is remarkable for countless
families. In the cases of the Quinlan's, the Cruzan's and many like them, families members find it unbearable to witness loved ones who linger
indefinitely in PVS with little or no chance for recovery. There are many like Terri Schiavo's parents, who value the lives of their love ones no matter
how limited their... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
374, para. 3). According to John Collins Harvey, a senior research scholar and professor emeritus of medicine at Georgetown University, feeding
tubes should be removed from patients in PVS because there is no hope for recovery. Harvey explains that the cerebral cortex the area of the brain
that controls conscious thought, language, and sensory perception has been irreparably damaged by a lack of oxygen (Harvey, 2004). However,
recent studies on DOC have revealed the difficulty of diagnosing PVS, especially because a few PVS patients recovered consciousness and
demonstrated awareness as a result of drug therapies and functional imaging studies (Fisher & Appelbaum, 2010). Obviously, these patients were not
in PVS, an irreversible condition. The awakening of persons after the administration of specific medications brings attention to the possibility that VS
is often over diagnosed (Sara & Pistoia, 2010). "The differential diagnosis of disorders of consciousness is challenging. The rate of misdiagnosis is
approximately 40%, and new methods are required to complement bedside testing, particularly if the patient's capacity to show behavioral signs of
awareness is diminished" (Monti, Vanhaudenhuyse, Coleman, & Boly, 2010, para. 1). The Issue of Death The definition of death is another issue
paramount to this discussion. Robert Rakestraw, professor of theology at Bethel Theological Seminary in his article on this very subject

Terri Schiavo Case Summary
The Case of Terri Schiavo Terri Schiavo, a young 26 year–old girl who collapsed on February 25th 1990. Her potassium level was very low, which is
why she had lost consciousness. While she was unconscious she was deprived of oxygen in her brain, long enough to leave her in a "persistent
vegetative state," a condition that is not to be confused with brain death. She could breathe without assistance, but she was incapable of thought or
emotion. She was put on a feeding tube because she couldn't eat, she has been like this for 15 years. Then Terri's husband stated that the hospital
should take out her feeding tube and let her starve to death, but Terri's parents refused and wanted to keep her alive. In the article "From Private Ordeal
to National

The End Of Life Care
The End–of–Life Care of Mrs. Terri Schiavo When a person comes to the point of time at which they are at the end of their life, whether it is due to
their age, natural causes or because an accident has happened, end–of–life care becomes a key component in their given situation. For most people,
their families, whether it be their husband or their wife, their children, or even their parents, have to be the ones to make decisions about that care. This
end–of–life care involves many decisions that most people do not want to make but have to, whether it is to prolong this person's life or deciding to
let them go peacefully and without any pain. In this paper, I will discuss one particular case, that of Terri Schiavo, and her end–of–life care. Terri
Schiavo was born Theresa Marie Schindler on December 3, 1963 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to the parents of Robert and Mary Schindler.
Throughout her childhood, Terri struggled with being short and overweight and therefore, she also struggled with her image of herself. It wasn't
until she went off to college that Terri's struggles led her to start dieting and she eventually lost some of her weight. While she was in college, in
1982, Terri met a man who she fell in love with and married two years later, in 1984, Michael Schiavo. Just two short years after getting married, the
couple decided to move to Florida, where Terri's parents, the Schindlers, lived. Settled in Florida, Terri and Michael both found jobs, Michael

The Terri Schiavo Case
Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma: The Terri Schiavo Case Terri Schiavo was 26 years old when she collapsed in her home and suffered acute hypoxia
for several minutes. Slightly shy of a year after her injury, it was clinically determined that she was in a persistent vegetative state (Perry, Churchill, &
Kirshner, 2005). There were no legal documents, such as an advance directive or living will, specifying the wishes for care under such circumstances.
Her husband, Michael Schiavo, was designated as her legal guardian. The Schiavo case caught the public's attention when her husband elected to
remove her feeding tube in the mid 1900's. He understood that there has never been a case of recovery after a year of being in a persistent vegetative
state. One of the moral issues surrounding the case centered on the appropriateness of removing the life–sustaining feeding tube or maintaining it.
Throughout the case, there has ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The principles of justice, nonmaleficence, and beneficence must be considered in this situation as the patient herself has neither voice nor living will
expressing her desires. An ethical theory that applies to this situation is rule utilitarianism. This theory is a hybrid of deontological and utilitarian
approaches (Purtilo & Doherty, 2012). Terri's husband feels that he is legally honoring her wishes by allowing Terri to die as the natural consequence of
her unfortunate medical condition. Using the utilitarian theory removing her feeding tube justifies the end goal of death. For her family, they feel a
duty to Terri and having her feeding tube removed betrays their sense of duty and right. Conflict resolution, in this case, must consider promoting the
person's good or prevention of further harm to the patient. Ethical theories and principles can guide the best

Summary: The Terri Schiavo Case
The main ethical system with this case is mercy killing. Mercy killing is "taking a direct action to terminate a patient's life without the patient's
permission" (Thiroux and Krasemann, pg. 184). Terri Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state, meaning she permanently lacked any level of
physical functionality. The husband believed this state prevented his wife from living while Terri's parents believed she was still fighting to live. The
husband felt his wife would want her suffering to end and advocated for an action which resulted in the death of his wife, this action was the removal of
her feeding tube. (Terri Schiavo Case, 2016).
Her husband made his decision based on the ethical system of mercy for the living dead and the patient's desire to die. To him, her not being able to
function meant she was dead and her feeding tube was delaying the inevitable. He also felt she would want to die if she was able to communicate it.
Her parents, on the other hand, were arguing based on the direct violation of the value of life principle. The parents of Terri, however, felt their
daughter was not able to make this choice in her current state and that the act would kill their daughter. (Terri Schiavo Case, 2016). To them, it was not a
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Terri had not committed a crime so the question, for Islamic then become, "was the life something worth preserving?" (An Islamic Perspective). She
was, according to the Koran, still living. Terri's brain had not shut down yet, her body was shutting down but her brain was still functioning and
"alive." Because of this, the fact that her brain was still functioning, the machines were not intended to take the task of God, to keep her alive (her
brain) but her body. This speaks of asking if the cost outweighs the benefits, like that of Catholicism. Islam also does not believe in DNRs (do not
resuscitate) because they do not believe people have the right to kill

Essay about Defining Death
Defining Death
Alan D. Shewmon, the professor of pediatric neurology at UCLA Medical School believes that "until the turn of the decade, most people thought that
'brain death' was a settled issue; it no longer is. An increasing number of experts have begun to re–examine critically and to reject various key
underlying assumptions" (Shewmon 1998). Determination of death has obviously become more complex, and the questions of when death is final
require answers. According to most recent definitions, if the brain is entirely and irreversibly destroyed, a person can no longer relate to the world. As
with any definition however, there are exceptions, gray areas, and blurred lines. We cannot strive for one all–encompassing definition. We... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
A severely complicating factor in defining death is that there are two ways to define brain death. Whole brain death occurs when their entire brain is
irreversibly nonfunctional. The higher brain definition states that the whole brain need not be functional; only the part responsible for personhood.
According to this definition, people who are in a constant vegetative state are considered dead. One case that puts this into perspective is that of Karen
Ann Quinlan, a modern icon in the right to die debate.
At First, there was no dispute about whether she would ever regain consciousness or whether she would ever be able to return to a life that was in any
sense normal (have a family, a home, etc). Quinlan was in a constant vegetative state and connected to a respirator. Quinlan's family wanted their
comatose daughter to die with dignity, so they had the respirator removed in the expectation that she would die, however, she continued to breathe
unassisted and survived for a further ten years in this state. "What this proved was that she had a functioning brain stem. What it did not demonstrate
was that her continued life had any value for her, which is what her parents valued the most for her" (Fisher 1999). For those ten years, Quinlan

Advanced Directives : An Underutilized Means Of...
Advanced Directives: An Underutilized Means of Communicating One's End of Life WishesImagine having to make the decision to take a loved
one off a ventilator or to remove a tube feeding. You might find yourself thinking, what would they want? Would they want to live in a nursing
home, connected to "tubes," possibly without a means to communicate or care for themselves? How would they define "quality of life"? Have you
ever discussed with them what their wishes are if they are unable to speak for themselves? Have they discussed it with family or friends? Did they
write their wished down anywhere? Would it make the decision easier if you knew your loved one's wishes? Can you feel the stress, anxiety, and
dread overcoming you?... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Advanced directives (ADs) are an effective method of communicating one's preferences for end of life care, but they are often underutilized. Advance
Directives allow an individual to state his or her personal end of life health care choices in advance of an incapacitation illness or injury. According to
U.S. Living Will Registry (2015), there are two types of directives:
1)A Living Will, a legal document in which an individual states the kind of health care they want or don't want under certain circumstances.
2)A Health Care Proxy (or durable health care power of attorney) is a legal document in which an individual names a person to make medical
decisions for them in the event they become incapacitated. In 1976, the landmark case of Karen Quinlan established the right to refuse medical care
on the basis of the right to privacy (McGowen, 2011, p. 64). Karen Quinlan's parents requested that their 21 year old daughter be removed from
mechanical ventilation after she was deemed to be in a persistent vegetative state after mixing a strict diet, drugs, and alcohol. The physician refused to
remove life sustaining treatment despite Karen's persistent vegetative state, as she did not meet the criteria for brain death. The case was appealed to
the New Jersey Supreme Court where

The Laws Regarding Euthanasia Essay
The Laws Regarding Euthanasia
An Introduction
Euthanasia is the act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition.
So far, the Netherlands is the only jurisdiction in the world that permits euthanasia; it also permits assisted suicide (The state of Oregon permits
assisted suicide also.) The difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia all comes down to the last act– the act without which the death wouldn't
have occurred. If a third party performs the last act that intentionally causes a patient's death, euthanasia has occurred. For example, giving a patient a
lethal injection would be considered euthanasia. On the other ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She would then probably get a minimum two years minimum in prison. Then there's the case of Tony Bland. Tony was injured in the Hillsborough
tragedy of 1986. He suffered severe brain haemorrhaging and serious brain damage. He then fell into a condition called PVS or 'Persistent Vegetative
State'. This meant he could not move, he couldn't breath unassisted, he couldn't respond to touch, see nor hear. The man had to take food through a
straw. Although, blood was still pumping around his body and he was able to think. He was kept alive for three whole months before a ruling was
passed at the House of Commons to put an end to his suffering. There were many things that could have been done to end it, a lethal injection, an
overdose of sleeping pills – but no. Their solution was to starve him. This, for me, boldly underlines the frailties of the British Justice System. After
all, euthanasia is practised illegally anyway so wouldn't it be much better to legalise it so it can be performed under careful guidelines? What's more,
to keep a person in agony unnecessarily is inhumane and cruel. I feel that anybody who opposes legalising euthanasia is either out of his or her mind
or merely trying to impose his or her own religious beliefs upon others.
AgainstA change in the law
The point has been made by many people that legalising

Nancy Cruzan Case Summary
Nancy Cruzan was in an accident on January 11, 1983. She lost control of her car and
was thrown from the vehicle. She landed face down in a water filled ditch. She was found with
no vital signs however she was resuscitated. She was in a coma for three weeks and was diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state. Her doctors
decided that she would need
long term care and inserted a feeding tube.
Nancy's parents decided that they no longer wanted to have the feeding tube in their
daughter. They requested that the doctors remove the feeding in 1988. The doctors stated
that they wouldn't remove the feeding tube without a court order. They filed for and received
the court order to have the feeding tube removed. The trial court ruled ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They stated that no one may
refuse treatment for another person, absent a living will. The Cruzan's appealed the decision,
and in 1989 with the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.
Nancy Cruzan's case was the first right to die case to be heard. In a split decision of 5 to
4, the court found in favor of the Missouri Department of Health and ruled that nothing in the
Constitution prevents the state of Missouri from requiring evidence before removing life

Support from a patient. The court ruled that competent individuals have the right to refuse
medical treatment, however with incompent persons, the court upheld the state of Missouri's
higher standard for evidence of what the person would want if they were able to make that
decision. This decision established that the right to die was not a constitutional right and set
out rules for what would be required in order for a third party to make this type of decision for
a person that was unable to do so for themselves. It stated that absent a living will or clear and
convincing evidence of what the person would have wanted, the states interest in

Do People Have the Right to Die? Essay
Living life at age twenty–eight is an amazing adventure. People are at their prime – being active and living life to the fullest. However, for Nancy
Cruzan, a terrible car accident took that all away. One night, driving on a quiet road in Missouri, Nancy's car rolled off the road and into a ditch. For
twenty minutes she lay there alone and lifeless. Then, a paramedic car drove by and saw the car in distress. They pulled Nancy out, and miraculously
revived her back to life. However, she had damaged her cerebral cortex, the vital end of the brain that gives humans all motor functions, senses, and
communication. Nancy was left in what is called a persistent vegetative state (PVS), which "is a legal term defined in 765.101 (12) Florida ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
People are all over the board in their approach to the issue of the right to die. There are many factors that affect one's approach to this issue – their
occupation, religion, experience with the issue, their values and morals, etc. There are three main approaches to the issue of the right to die and
physician–assisted suicide. First, a religious or moral approach that deals with people arguing their side because of their beliefs or values they hold in
high regard. Second, a political and legal approach that deals with what the laws state and the reasons behind them. And third, a personal approach that
explains peoples' opinions who have dealt with the issue.
Although grouped together as having the same approach, not all religious people and those who argue their opinion based on their moral beliefs, have
the same stance on the issue. These people look at the right to die and physician–assisted suicide in the same way, but they do not see the same thing.
There are many people coming from a religious or moral approach who have a strong commitment to preserve life. They believe that above all else,
life should be valued, and that our actions as humans should exemplify that. Some trace this back to their faith in a creator, and argue that s/he is the
one who gave people life, and so only s/he should have the power to take it away. People need to let their bodies and others' bodies take their natural

Mandatory Physician Assisted Suicide
Traditionally death was defined with the heart–lung criterion which referred to cardio–respiratory death. The lower brain is what controls respiration
therefore the destruction of the brainstem causes loss of all cardio–respiratory vital signs and so death ensues. In 1981, a new definition arose which
was labelled as Whole Brain Death. It is defined as an individual being declared dead, despite continuing functional vital signs. (Pojman, pp. 102) There
is no consciousness, no control of brainstem reflexes, and a loss of cognitive functions. The individual's survival is dependent on artificial mechanisms
that are provided by doctors. This newer definition was created due to modern technology being able to revive someone who is cardio–respiratory ...
If that were the case, then medications and simple surgical procedures would also be deemed unnatural. One may also say that if physician–assisted
suicide were permitted then there wouldn't be a line drawn between who is able to receive the assistance, in this case, a terminally ill patient versus a
heart–broken teenager. Physician–assisted suicide would be regulated and the government would be able to interfere if there was a reason to think the
patient would regret the decision later on. The heartbroken teenager, given some time, would get over the breakup and be glad that they didn't take
their own life. (Boutland, pp.

Persuasive Essay On Euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia is the act of ending a person's life with consent by either injecting a lethal drug or removing live supporting devices. Assisted suicide, often
categorized in with euthanasia, is when a physician prescribes a lethal drug at the request of the patient for them to then self–administer. Euthanasia is
currently illegal in the United States and almost every other country. In 1976 Karen Ann Quinlan lost consciousness and stopped breathing after
consuming alcohol and prescription drug. She was rushed to the hospital and declared to be in a persistent vegetative state.
When Quinlan's parents found out about her being in a vegetative state they had to make a decision, whether to fight the hospital and court to have
Quinlan's tube removed, or to let her stay on life support. They choose to fight for euthanasia. Debates have gone on for years whether euthanasia
should be legal or illegal. The debate centers on the Hippocratic Oath, whether the person choosing euthanasia is of sound of mind, and moments in
history when euthanasia was used.
Illegal
The Hippocratic Oath is one of the main reason why many medical professionals believe that euthanasia should be illegal. The Hippocratic Oath
says, "To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death", stated by Ann Griswold in the article "Counterpoint:
Euthanasia Should Be Banned" (Griswold). The legalization of euthanasia would give medical personnel the power to end a person's

The Ethics Of Nursing Ethics
Children and respirators are terms typically appalling and scary to society. In the nursing profession, it is often that nurses will deal with these two
appalling terms. A case involving these two terms has been analyzed in regards to nursing ethics. Nursing ethics involves several different complex
ideas and with the aid of the four way method one is able to analyze and make a decision in regards to controversial and difficult nursing situations.
The four way method helped analyze a fourteen year old boys, named Jack, situation wherein a dilemma arose regarding the continuation of life
support. After analyzing Jack's situation with proposed solutions by using the four way method, one is able to make an educated and informed ethical...
According to Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, a vegetative state can be described as "a condition of no recognizable interaction with
the environment in spite of spontaneous or stimulus–induced arousal and the ability to maintain a condition of wakefulness" (Lancioni et al., 2007, p.
293). Jack's family has been experiencing large amounts of stress financially and emotionally since the incident. They are a family of five and the
mother is the primary caretaker of the family while the father works to support them. One especially stressful aspect to the family's dynamic is the
fact that one of their five children suffers from down syndrome. Their schedules are stretched very thin while trying to make ends meet financially,
take care of the other four children, and be with Jack in the hospital while he is hooked up to the respirator. As the primary nurses we are aware that
Jack's family is not necessarily financially stable at this time and Jack's current hospitalization does not help their financial status. It is also a huge
emotional toll on the family. The mother has asked us as nurses to unplug Jack's respirator during the night. She believes that if we do so then no one
will know that we did such a thing. The ethical issue that stands behind this is that Jack's primary physician has the desire to wait and see what will
happen with Jack over time. The physician believes Jack's condition to be reversible, however if

Family Members Should NOT Decide When Life Support is...
Should the decision to keep a person on life support be made by family members only?
This question has major impact on many people's lives, their deaths, and their quality of life. Many other questions can be asked in conjunction with
this question. How would you like to be kept on life support? Would you want a doctor to make the decision of 'life or death'? The questions just keep
on coming, and every time we seem to find ourselves divided. This issue is relevant because of the recent media coverage over Terri Schiavo's right to
live or die and the fact that any of us could be in her situation. In the case of Quinlan1., the court asked, "If the patient could wake up for 15
minutes and understand his or her condition fully, and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The British Medical Journal conducted a study in 1996 concluding that there was a 43% error rate in the diagnosis of PVS4. This study makes it clear
just how difficult it is to get an accurate diagnosis of PVS.
A patient that has been diagnosed as 'minimally conscious' can have dementia– but can respond to simple instructions or follow objects with their eyes.
The individual can show occasional moments of awareness– through speaking, writing or using yes/no signals. The journal Neuroscience explains that
the individual could be quite aware, but 'trapped' in a body, for the most part, unable to function.
Terri Schiavo was 5 feet and 3 inches, when Terri was a young adult she weighed over 200 pounds. She has been recorded to have dropped to 110
pounds before her collapse in 1990; this plummet in weight suggests an eating disorder, other information on this issue that suggests an eating
disorder would be her dangerously low potassium level of 2.0. Chemicals interfere with cells metabolism everyday. We eat, drink or inject chemicals
into our bodies' everyday; our bodies are chemical factories with millions of chemical reactions happening all the time. Occasionally, however,
chemicals are abused or neglected, and our bodies suffer for our decisions. Normal potassium levels are between 3.5–5.0 mEq/L, potassium is needed
to maintain many of our bodily functions, for example,

The Vegetative State and Doctor-Assisted Suicide Essay
The Vegetative State and Euthanasia
Much media attention has been directed at the very practical use of euthanasia or assisted suicide on patients who are in a vegetative state or
irreversible coma. The truth is that a significant number of such cases actually recover. This essay is devoted to those types, some very young, who
would have been killed if euthanasia/assisted suicide had been legalized.
Let's begin our consideration with a nine–year–old named Ryan Atencio. He was taken off life–support systems, except for a feeding tube, after being
in a vegetative state following a massive head injury in a December 10, 1988 car accident. "There was no brain function," said Dr. Eustaquio Abay at
St. Francis Regional ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Yolanda, Who had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 1987, suffered severe blood loss for unknown reasons and collapsed on November 30, 1990
while vacationing. She was taken to Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg, PA. Contending that Yolanda had told them not to use any ..
extraordinary measures" to keep her alive, doctors at the medical center did not insert either a feeding tube or a urinary catheter. When her friend,
Richard Harley, protested the lack of treatment, the hospital took the case to court. A Monroe County judge ruled in favor of the hospital, saying that
Yolanda should be allowed to "die with dignity." When she awoke, Yolanda was asked if she wanted to live. "Of course I do," she replied. She also
insisted on "the best possible" care and a transfer to another hospital that would provide it(Woman).
In 1984, Mary Kay Blakely, national essayist and "Ms" magazine editor, lapsed into a 9–day diabetic coma. She then published a book –– Wake Me
When It's Over –– about the extraordinary experience that "saved and transformed my life." Blakely described her–comatose body as like a broken
transmitter: she could receive, but not send any messages. She experienced sound and touch, but could not respond. The coma altered her view of
what's important –– and what's not. She now understands the critical need to slow down, and enjoy some of life's pleasures ("Author")This item may
not appear to belong with this list of cases, but it points

Exploring The Cultural Meaning Behind Suffering
There are many questions to be asked when dealing with the end of life for a patient. It comes down to pain, suffering, and comfort when dealing with
patients with PVS. There are many regulations and some laws that help guide physicians to make the right decision when it is time to tell the family
/surrogates what they should do. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the cultural meaning behind suffering in the context of persistent
vegetative state patients when there is possible abuse. Does the use of regulations that we have today help physicians make good judgement calls on
people who are facing their imminent death? Is it morally right to take away a parent's power to decide what is best for their child? Is it morally okay
for a physician to make a decision for someone else's child instead of other family? These question will also be explored based on a case from the AMA
Journal of Ethics from a little girl who was presumed to be in a persistent vegetative state. To quickly summarize the case of a seven–month old girl
named Sophie who was put into what seemed to be a persistent vegetative state. Sophie was brought to the emergency room by her mother and her
mother's boyfriend. It was apparent after some test were done Sophie's injuries to her head where non–accidental. Since this case is very controversial
and the parents could be put in jail for murderer the physicians job is to understand what is best for Sophie. The parents want to continue all treatment to

The Right Of Physician Assisted Suicide
The Right to Physicians Assisted Suicide
Brittany Micceri
Dominican College
Dr. Bonk
November 15, 2015
The Right To Physician Assisted Suicide
Physician assisted suicide, or PAS, has always been a very controversial topic. This touches upon the healthcare side of the large spectrum of social
problems today in America. An individuals view on this issue might vary depending on their political ideology. Modern conservatives might not
necessarily agree with physician assisted suicide because of their traditional beliefs and values. Conservatives might say it is wrong because it goes
against the teachings of the bible which states a life is created at the moment of conception and is always precious. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
These states include Vermont, Washington, New Mexico, Montana, and Oregon. Euthanasia is similar to the practice of physician assisted suicide,
except instead of the physician ending the patients life, as preformed in euthanasia, the patient does it on his or her own. At the patients request, a
certified physician may help a patient end their life pain free and peacefully. This process however can only be requested by a patient if they are in
extreme pain and suffering, and especially if they have a terminal illness. While gathering and reviewing research I discovered an interesting statistic.
According to the website Edlink an informational site about issues related to PAS which is hosted by Northwestern University, "57% of physicians
practicing today have received a request for physician assisted suicide in some form or another" (Physician–Assisted Suicide – Introduction). Thats
over half of all physicians. I as a liberal, believe everyone should have the right to physician assisted suicide. Some people in society claim that PAS
is only socially acceptable if a patient is terminally ill or is in painful suffering. In addition, it is a physicians moral imperative to ease a patients
suffering which if the patient requests, could mean ending their life. The argument of
PAS relies a lot on the patient's respect for themselves, which identifies the rights of capable patient's to decide how and when their death should occur
when they are suffering

Death with Dignity Essay
In 1983 twenty–five–year old Nancy Cruzan was driving when her car careened off the road and flipped over. She was thrown out of her car into a
ditched and was left lying there unconscious. Her body was victim to its surroundings and to fate. When she was found by paramedics, she was
unconscious and not breathing. They concluded that she had not been breathing for at least fifteen minutes, but through the miracles of modern
technology she was revived into a vegetative state (Gumm). This began a long crusade for Nancy Cruzan and her family and only added to the
enduring debate about euthanasia. Should a person be able to control when to end his life? I believe that a person should control when life ends while
facing a terminal illness or... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
After finally accepting that Nancy would not be revived, the family asked the state hospital to remove her feeding tubes so that she could move on.
Unfortunately, it could not be this easy. Discovering that Nancy was not allowed by the state to be taken off of life support, they proceeded with legal
action. After several suits between the Cruzan family and the state's attorney general in the Missouri court system, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to
hear its first right–to–die case, that of Nancy Cruzan. In a 5–4 decision, the Cruzan family lost, buried in hundreds of pages of the Supreme Court's
opinion. Eventually, their lawyer was able to find the key that would let them retry the case in Missouri, leading them to a victory (Gumm). Despite
the success that Nancy and her family had at this time, they paid a heavy price. Nancy had been left in a persistent vegetative state for seven years. It
was known earlier that death was unavoidable for her, yet she was not allowed to move on by the state due to the many ethical and medical gray
areas associated with euthanasia. Idaho is one of the states that has gray areas dealing with euthanasia. In the past week, an article in the Post
Register appeared that elaborates about the Idaho senate passing a bill, making assisted suicide illegal. Sen. Michelle Stennett voices several
concerns about the bill saying, "There is ... a very big gray area of what is considered when you take somebody off of life support. Will

Euthanasia Is Not Morally Wrong
Warren believes that failure to meet any of her criteria means that killing the person who fails the five point personhood test is not morally wrong,
regardless of how or why someone would choose to do so. I find an objection to Warren's view because it is absurd and it could lead to controversial
actions on behalf of her view's followers. In most, if not all cases, of nonvoluntary active euthanasia the doctor who performs the euthanasia is charged
with murder. This is because almost every country in the world has made nonvoluntary active euthanasia, where a patient wishes not to die but is
euthanized anyway, illegal. Despite that, there could be cases in Warren's view that would make it so the act of nonvoluntary active euthanasia is not
morally wrong, and the results of her view could be very controversial. One case is where a patient is found to be in a coma or a persistent vegetative
state (PVS) and they wish not to die. When a person is in one of these states they meet none the criteria put forth by Warren, and in her view this would
make it morally acceptable to actively euthanize this patient. Not only that, but because the patients are not members of the moral community there is
no wrong in killing them, and even worse, any way of actively euthanizing them is acceptable. Therefore, her extreme view can cause those who
believe her views to think in the same way. Adopting Warren's view on nonvoluntary euthanasia could end badly if the person decides to act on it. An

Essay about Perspective of Mary Anne Warren on Keeping...
Perspective of Mary Anne Warren on Keeping Abortion Legal
Works Cited Missing
Mary Anne Warren is one of the top advocates for keeping abortion legal without any restrictions on it. She states that the morality of abortion is
dependent on the moral status of the baby, not simply on the rights of the mother. She criticizes those who defendabortion as the right to control one's
body: "it is at best a rather feeble argument for the permissibility of abortion. Mere ownership does not give me the right to kill innocent people
whom I find on my property…" (The Monist, pg. 44) Using this analogy she shows that just because the fetus is inside us it does mean we have
a right to terminate it.
She starts off her argument by defining ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(The Monist, pg. 55) Now, it's not necessary to have every one of these five characteristics, but one and two are an absolute must and possibly even
three. If we hold these standards up to the fetus, we see that it has not even one characteristic, thereby leaving it ok to say that it is not part of the
moral community and therefore has no moral status, and no right to life. So, no matter what stage the fetus is in, be it the first trimester or the last,
there is absolutely nothing wrong with aborting it. However, if we hold these standards up to several other things we can see that, according to
Warren, they too have no moral status or no right to life. For example, there is the person in a persistent vegetative state, which Warren even gives an
example of to prove that not all human beings are people: "A man or woman whose consciousness has been permanently obliterated but who retains
alive is a human being which is no longer a person, defective human beings, with no appreciable mental capacity, are not and presumably never will
be people." (The Monist, pg. 56) They cannot be considered to have any of the characteristics of people. There are also animals. The majority of them
can only fit into

Understanding The Complexity Of Consciousness
To fully understand the complexity of consciousness, it must be defined. However there is no universal accepted definition due to the concept is
looked at from many different positions and in different terms. In this essay which will explore altered states affecting consciousness, the definition
which will be used is 'One is aware of surroundings, and is able to make decisions and the ability to apply different experiences to different situations'.
When consciousness is not present, a person is then seen to be unconscious (One has no awareness of processes or surroundings). Nolen–Hoeksma et al
(2009) has created a new concept known as 'Pre–Conscious memories' these are objects and events not being fully accessed but still affect our own ...
When consciousness is altered, or not normal, it is known as an altered state of consciousness (ASC). It is a change in mental state without one being
considered unconscious. ASC's can occur due to psychological, physiological and pharmacological reasons (Smythies, J. 2009). Investigating these
altered states in detail may help produce a concise and agreed definition of consciousness. ASC can be achieved naturally as well as through the use of
entheogens or psychedelic substances such as LSD. In this essay, altered states will be explored using patients with severe brain injures (i.e. Brain death,
coma, vegetative state, and minimally conscious state).
Detecting signs of consciousness is currently the main way to distinguish conscious from unconsciousness patients. The diagnosis is extremely difficult
to make and are often complicated by inconsistent or exhausted motor responses, and patients with limited behavioral actions are often misdiagnosed,
and a error in diagnosis can lead to inadequate treatment, wrong pain treatment and inappropriate end of life decision.
An ASC includes vegetative states (VS), the term 'vegetative' suggests a preservation of autonomic functions, and the sleep wake cycle (ie spontaneous
eye openings). VS often occurs after a trauma induced injury involving the white matter, thalamus, brainstem, hypothalamus and basal ganglia (Giacino
et al,

Pharmacological And Medical Technology Advances
Imagine having to make the decision to take a loved one off a ventilator or removing a tube feeding. What would they want? Would they want to
live in a nursing home, connected to "tubes," possibly without a means to communicate or care for themselves? How would they define "Quality
of Life"? Have you ever discussed with them what their wishes are if they are unable to speak for themselves? Have they discussed it with family
or friends? Did they write their wished down anywhere? Would it make the decision easier if you knew you're loved one's wishes? Can you feel the
stress, anxiety and dread overcoming you? Unfortunately this scenario occurs every day. Pharmacological and medical technology advances have
prolonged life through the development of life sustaining therapies such as antibiotics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation,
feeding tubes and hemodialysis (HD). While prolonging life, it has also raised the question of quality of life and thus the need for end of life
planning by individuals. Unfortunately, laws have been unable to keep pace with medical advances. There have been several well publicized cases
involving end of life care for persons in a persistent vegetative state and the request for withdrawal of life sustaining therapies (e.g. Karen Quinlan,
Nancy Cruzan) that have brought this topic to the fore front of public attention and resulted in legal precedence concerning an individual's wishes for
end of life

The Mental Capacity Act 2005

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The Mental Capacity Act 2005