(Snippets from the frontline)
Elder suicide – the shrouded game plan
Often we hear, “He died peacefully in his sleep.” Or, “Their love was so great, they died together.” For some, they died by suicide, and we don’t even know it.
How? From intentional narcotic prescription drug overdose.
Some do it alone. Others make a pact with their loved one. They want to control their life and destiny, and might be suffering physically, mentally, or financially. Most are psychologically stable, rational, and aware of what they are considering.
We live longer…but is it with quality of life? This is what some question.
Should they be allowed to make this choice? Admittedly, it is less drama than using a firearm or driving off a cliff. Is it wrong for us to thwart their plan?
Present laws don’t allow this decision unless you have a terminal illness. The dilemma: What if you don’t?
Should an autopsy be done with drug screens? “Death by suicide” exempts some life insurance coverage. This is “Death by choice.”
The shrouded game plan: Accumulate narcotic prescription drugs, then when the time is right, use them.
It is happening, and we don’t even know it.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
I would not tell someone suicide may be an option for fear of loosing a person who may get over the thought with time. Who among us has never thought of ending it all?
The more important issue is ABUSE: manipulating someone who is sick, helpless or dying to feel OBLIGATED to die and WANT to die to preserve an estate for the sake of someone they love.. I have heard people tell a “loved one” that it was “Time to die. Let go!”, or This Nursing home will leave US without anything. If a caregivers makes remarks like or “I can’t take this anymore” the older sick person my FEEL OBLIGATED to no longer be a burden. My own mother lived for 12 years in a nursing home and that went through all of her money, as well as some of mine before Medicare took over. One of her doctors stopped feeding her. When I arrived on the east coast and found she was not fed the doctor said “She will aspirate, and die a horrible death”. I threatened his license if he did give her a feeding tube. He did so noting that this was against his orders. She lived another 12 years. My very own brother kicked me and muttered into my ear that “He is caring for Mom”. We give doctors the power over issues that we, no matter how painful, must decide. In our society most kid want to inherit, and unfortunately feel that their parents wealth belongs to them while the parents are alive. They do not want to inherit a depleted estate with bills (probably because they themselves are financially overextended because they were counting on inheriting a chunk of money. A really gross conflict of interest. One of my friends children were upset that he was going to buy a Lincoln car, when all he needed was a Corolla. He always had a Lincoln, He actually told me they “think my money belongs to them already”. He got the Corolla and hated it.
In light of the natural human failings, and rationalizations where easy money is concerned, I do not feel we serve the senior community by telling them how to kill themselves.