Abstract
Nursing home physicians are bound to be confronted more often with patients that have an advance directive concerning a request for euthanasia in the case of dementia. Despite the fact that in the Netherlands euthanasia in dementia, under certain conditions, is justified when a written request is present, these requests are rarely carried out.This article provides insight into the medical ethical problems that physicians may encounter when treating a patient with dementia in the posession of a written request for euthanasia. Dilemma's with respect to the patient's (in)competence, personal identity and unbearable suffering, are adressed successively. It appears that insight into the way that physicians in daily practice deal with these dilemma's is limited. More research into the issues around advance directives in dementia is recommended.
| Translated title of the contribution | Euthanasia in the case of dementia: A realistic option? |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 134-137 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Tijdschrift voor verpleeghuisgeneeskunde |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Oct 2007 |