Lamar Hankins

October 20, 2019

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

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. (Continue reading ...)

October 6, 2019October 7, 2019

Exploring Compassion & Choices’ approach to dementia, Part 2

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. (Continue reading ...)

September 29, 2019

Exploring Compassion & Choices’ approach to dementia, Part 1

Compassion & Choices is trying to do more for those with a dementia diagnosis through a new online "Dementia Values & Priorities Tool." This post is the first part of an exploration of C&C's approach to dementia advance planning. (Continue reading ...)

September 22, 2019March 18, 2022

Is a “good death” a viable option

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. (Continue reading ...)

September 15, 2019September 15, 2019

Options near the end of life–Exploring Parkinson’s

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. (Continue reading ...)

August 18, 2019March 16, 2022

Alternate Endings

A review of the new HBO documentary "Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America," 67 minutes in length, which began airing on August 14. (Continue reading ...)

August 11, 2019

North Carolina already may be a physician aid-in-dying state

Kathryn L. Tucker, the founder and director of the End of Life Liberty Project has concluded that physicians in North Carolina can provide assistance in dying (AID) to their mentally competent terminally ill patients who request it, subject to the prevailing standard of care, without risk of a viable criminal prosecution or medical practice disciplinary action. (Continue reading ...)

August 4, 2019

Huntington’s Disease and a self-controlled death

This post describes the disease that killed Woody Guthrie–Huntington's Disease–and provides the story of a man who struggled with the disease until he could bear it no longer. (Continue reading ...)

July 21, 2019March 16, 2022

Why FEN should support the Disability Integration Act

You may not have heard of the Disability Integration Act of 2019, but it is worth the support of the Final Exit Network (FEN) and the individual support of all people who favor a self-controlled death (Continue reading ...)

July 14, 2019March 16, 2022

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

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." (Continue reading ...)

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