Right to die

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Suicide
Types of suicide
Teenage suicide
Euthanasia / Assisted suicide
Murder-suicide
Suicide bombing
Ritual suicide
Cult suicide
Mass suicide
Suicide pact
Internet suicide
Copycat suicide
Forced suicide
Suicide by cop
History and Methodology
History of suicide
Famous suicides
Parasuicide (threats of suicide)
Suicide methods
Suicide note
Suicide watch
Views on suicide
Cultural
Legal
Medical views of suicide>Medical
Philosophical
Religious
Right to die
Resources for dealing with suicidal thoughts
Crisis hotline
Assessment of suicide risk
Suicide prevention
Crisis hotlines by country
Medical views of suicide

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Suicide
Types of suicide
Teenage suicide
Euthanasia / Assisted suicide
Murder-suicide
Suicide bombing
Ritual suicide
Cult suicide
Mass suicide
Suicide pact
Internet suicide
Copycat suicide
Forced suicide
Suicide by cop
History and Methodology
History of suicide
Famous suicides
Parasuicide (threats of suicide)
Suicide methods
Suicide note
Suicide watch
Views on suicide
Cultural
Legal
Medical views of suicide>Medical
Philosophical
Religious
Right to die
Resources for dealing with suicidal thoughts
Crisis hotline
Assessment of suicide risk
Suicide prevention
Crisis hotlines by country
Medical views of suicide
This box: [ view] • [ talk] • [ edit]

For the 1987 film, see Right to Die (film)

The term "right to die" refers to various issues around the death of an individual when that person could continue to live with the aid of life support, or in a diminished or enfeebled capacity. In some cases, it refers to the idea that a person with a terminal illness and in serious condition should be allowed to commit suicide before death would otherwise occur. The concept is often nicknamed dying with dignity.

In most countries in the Western world, people do not in fact have the right to die. Suicide is often frowned upon, and euthanasia is only legal in a handful of countries. In some East Asian countries, suicide may be acceptable in cases such as ritual suicide.

Most often, the idea of the right to die is related to a person's wish that caregivers allow death—for example, by not providing life support or vital medication— under certain conditions when recovery is highly unlikely or impossible. It may also refer to issues regarding physician-assisted suicide. It may be called passive euthanasia in cases where the patient is unable to make decisions about treatment. Living wills and Do Not Resuscitate orders are legal instruments that make a patient's treatment decisions known ahead of time; allowing a patient to die based on such decisions is not considered to be euthanasia. Usually these patients have also made explicit their wish to receive only palliative care to reduce pain and suffering.

Although specialized legal instruments differ from state to state, there are two more that are important in this context. The Five Wishes document allows a person to state in advance the priorities and values they wish to have honored at the end of life. And the Medical Durable Power of Attorney (or MDPOA) designates an agent to make decisions in case of incapacity, and can be used to give written guidance regarding end of life decision making. The MDPOA is generally considered to be the most powerful of all such instruments. All others may require interpretation on the part of health care providers or even court-appointed guardians; the MDPOA takes the job of interpretation out of the hands of strangers and gives it to a person selected and trusted by the individual.

Right to die

See also