Suicide not the same

I disagree with F R Halpin (Chronicle letters, December 11) that assisted dying is the same as suicide.

Those who have lost a loved one to an untimely death by suicide are invariably traumatised and griefstricken. Their anguish stems from the fact that they know the person was traumatised, desperate and alone at the time of dying.

By comparison, those who have lost a loved one to assisted dying are not traumatised, though they mourn. But they are usually at peace because they know the person was at peace and felt supported at the time of dying.

Palliative care does not help between 4 per cent and 8 per cent of patients — simply because some do not respond well to the medications available or because such medications cause worse side-effects.

For these patients, palliative care offers “terminal sedation” — withdrawing food, water and deeply sedating the patient until death. It can take up to two weeks for the disease, the starvation, the dehydration or a combination of all three to end life.

Is terminal sedation the same as killing? I think not — it’s an attempt at a gentle death and so is assisted dying. The difference is the patient will not have to undergo those final days, even weeks, slowly dying.

Have a drop of compassion for the patient and the family at the bedside.