Good afternoon friend,
Fighting for law change on assisted dying is crucial for ensuring a future in which dying people of sound mind have choice and control over the end of their lives. Fighting for assisted dying ensures one part of that jigsaw puzzle, but another incredibly important aspect is already available to us as a legal option..
My name is Sarah, I’m a nurse, and I run the free information line at Compassion in Dying (Dignity in Dying’s sister charity). Whether this is the first you’ve heard about planning ahead or you’ve started planning already, I’d love to talk to you about how you can remain in control at the end of your life.
There are three things I can support you to do right now that would mean you could stay in control were you to suddenly lose mental capacity, for example, as a result of a sudden stroke.
- Make a free living will to refuse any medical treatments that you do not want to be given in the future.
- Fill in an advance statement, used to say what care you do want, for example where you want to live and be cared for.
- Complete a lasting power of attorney for health and welfare, a legal document used to give someone you trust the power to make decisions for you in case a time comes when you lose the ability to make such decisions for yourself.
The harsh reality is that even for people in relatively good health, physical and mental conditions can change very suddenly. Not everyone has a diagnosis that allows them time to consider their options and get things in place.
In the UK someone has a stroke every five minutes. For many of those people, their capacity to make or communicate decisions can be lost - temporarily or permanently - in an instant. Were this to happen, all treatment decisions would be made for you, not by you. I want to stop that from happening wherever possible.
Please, start planning ahead today by calling me on 0800 999 2434 (Mon-Fri, 11am - 3pm) or emailing [email protected] and make sure that when the time comes, you remain in control.
Many thanks,
Sarah Malik
Clinical Lead and Services Manger
Compassion in Dying
P.S. I support assisted dying as strongly as you do. However, as assisted dying is still illegal in the UK I will not be able to support you to access an assisted death or make plans to end your own life. I can support you to record your wishes for treatment, help you to effectively advocate for your loved ones, and understand your rights under the current law.
