Medical assistance in dying and older persons in Belgium: trends, emerging issues and challenges.
Age Ageing
; 50(1): 68-71, 2021 01 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32574355
ABSTRACT
In 2002, the Belgian Act on euthanasia came into effect, regulating the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient's explicit request. Subsequently, the number of reported euthanasia deaths increased every year. Specifically, the proportion of euthanasia deaths in older persons has risen significantly in the last few years. Since the conception of the Euthanasia Act, Belgian physicians have been confronted with challenges concerning euthanasia requests in older persons with polypathology, tiredness of life or dementia. By exploring these issues, this commentary highlights the importance of a meticulous and team-based assessment of the (i) seriousness of the underlying condition, (ii) voluntariness of the request and (iii) decisional capacity of the older person requesting euthanasia.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Médicos
/
Eutanásia
Limite:
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article