The medical profession must do better when it comes to palliative care and hospice. Sadly, patients and their families are often unprepared for the final stages of the dying process. As a result, many wait too long before utilizing hospice and palliative services, which can result in loved ones dying poorly or in a way they would not have wanted. We must be more willing to talk about death to ensure that patients receive the very best care at the end of life.
Assisted suicide is not the answer. It comes with too great a risk of abuse and coercion. As Dr. Daniela Lamas points out, the real answer is that doctors and the medical field, as a whole, must do better.
Read more at the NY Times…