#MAID #MedicalAssistanceInDeath #DeathWithDignity #LongIllnesses #prognosis #diagnosis
Call in the MAID.
No, it’s not a sexist comment. MAID stands for medical assistance in death.
We all know death is inevitable. Most of us don’t know when it will come.
But if conditions are such that one’s diagnosis and prognosis offer no promising outcome, and the chances of staying alive a long time with no good quality – and lots of expense – are strong, it may be time to call in the MAID, which is also called Death with Dignity.
Some states, mostly on the West Coast, allow medical assistance in death. Naturally, certain conditions much exist. The patient must have medical clearance to have his or her death hastened.
But, it may be a better alternative than condemning a spouse, or other family members, to be longtime caregivers, with no hope for a good outcome.
It may also be a good alternative to prevent liquidation of one’s nest egg on medical care that has no curative effect.
Certainly, such a decision will not be easy. Even if the person wants the MAID, the family may want the person around for a long time, regardless of condition.
Certain religions prohibit MAID, but MAID indeed may be a merciful alternative. One does not play God when asking for MAID. He or she may just be just hastening the inevitable.
MAID is not the same as suicide. Suicide is when a person with a treatable condition – or no condition at all – just decides that life isn’t worth living. MAID simply avoids the prolonged agony of watching a person die a slow death that can be easily predicted.
Again, making such a decision is not easy for either the patient or loved ones. All medical factors have to be considered. The hope for recovery has to be completely unrealistic. Certainly, miracles can, and have happened. But, when hoping for a miracle is not a practical, or even wise, solution, MAID could be the answer.
Remember, medical care is expensive. It’s an investment, though not in a traditional sense. Is one investing in something that will produce results on the other end? If so, by all means, go for it.
Keeping one comfortable is laudable, even desirable. But months, or years, of comfort may not bring the patient all the way back. A patient should be comfortable, even as he or she is dying, but, eventually, it becomes a question of time. Time is expensive in many of these cases. Could avoiding that expense help the surviving spouse, or other family members, live better? Would the patient want that more than time alive, but not “living?”
A person may have psychological, religious or other reasons not to pursue MAID in the appropriate conditions.
But, everyone should know that MAID can be the right solution for some patients in the right circumstances.
Remember, too, that God created the scientists that make MAID possible, just as he created the scientists that can keep people alive for a long time.
It’s a matter of choice for the patient and family, with the correct and appropriate medical advice.
Sometimes, God may want a person to call in the MAID.
Peter