All Posts By

Lamar Hankins

Oct 20
1

Disability activist slams right-to-die (RTD) law proposed in Minnesota

By | Right-to-Die Laws | 7 Comments

The Minnesota State House of Representatives and Senate are considering companion End-of-Life Option Act bills, and committee hearings have begun.  Since Minnesota is the state that will not permit even discussing end-of-life options among those who might want to decide the timing of their deaths with people who are experienced in how to achieve peaceful deaths on our own terms, it seems surprising that right-to-die (RTD) bills have been introduced in its legislature.  Nevertheless, opponents of the RTD are amping up their arguments against such legislation.

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Oct 06
2

Exploring Compassion & Choices’ approach to dementia, Part 2

By | Dementia | 4 Comments

In its new “Dementia Values & Priorities Tool,” Compassion and Choices (C&C) helps people clarify their wishes if they acquire dementia.  They offer a satisfactory, though limited, list of dementia-related symptoms (discussed in Part 1).  In Part 2, I have identified a few other (or slightly different) symptoms that are important to me in the event that I lose the ability to hasten my own death because of dementia or some unexpected reason, such as a stroke or other event that renders me incapable of carrying out a hastened death. Part 2 concludes an analysis of C&C’s approach to dementia.

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Sep 22
1

Is a “good death” a viable option

By | Advance Directives, Dementia, End-of-life care | 3 Comments

Two weeks ago, I spoke to about twenty people at the regular weekly meeting of the Ethical Society of Austin (Texas).  The topic was the seven choices available to a person who becomes afflicted with dementia.  I began by asking what, for them, are the characteristics of a “good death.”  In about ten minutes, the group offered ideas that suggest a “good death” is a viable option, with some universal characteristics, in spite of some voices to the contrary.

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Sep 15
0

Options near the end of life–Exploring Parkinson’s

By | End-of-life care | 4 Comments

My wife and I had occasion to visit some old friends in California recently.  We have known one member of the couple since 1962, when we started college together.  We last saw them almost three years ago and have stayed in touch through email and phone calls.  David has Parkinson’s Disease (PD), so we knew that we would likely find him in worse shape than the last time we saw him, when his main symptom was a slight tremor in his hands and a shuffling gait when he walked.  Lois had given us reports that he was working on therapies to counter the effects of the Parkinson’s.

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Jul 14
3

A non-medical model for a self-controlled death?

By | Final Exit Network, Right-to-Die Laws, The Right to Die | 5 Comments

In a newly-produced short film, Philip Nitschke argues for a non-medical model to replace the medical model for a self-controlled death.  His argument is compelling.  If we have a right to a self-controlled death, we should not have to ask permission from doctors to honor that right.  As he has said, “You don’t have to be a doctor to understand dying.”

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