Death with Dignity in State of Oregon,the United States

KATAGIRI Shizuko

doi:10.7129/hokkaidoshakai.27.55

Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act(DWDA)was passed by Oregon voters and enacted in November 1997.This article analyzes current situations and issues through showing the statistical data which was referred to Annual Reports from 1998 to 2012,by Department of Human Services(DHS)and arranged chronologically.Moreover the interview data collected by professionals who worked for hospital or hospice and who were familiar with Death with Dignity(DWD),complemented statistical data.The purpose of this article is to explore the dilemma which terminally ill patients will be confronted when they implement DWD. Statistical data shows the trend that many DWD patients are high educated white elders,enrolled hospice program,married,and so on.But this research considers at first that notable issue is“End-of-life Concerns.”For several years rapid increase of this concern is“Burden on family,friends/caregivers”and in every year the highest one is “Losing autonomy.”In the U.S.they have“Standards as exist for behavior in the face of death.”So some terminally ill patients might do self-decision making. In related to“burden”and“autonomy”another important issue is that one third of patients has not ingested the lethal medication prescribed by physician,just having it. As a result of interview it appeared that having legally the lethal doses for terminally ill patients,who were informed to die less than six month,had judged the limited situation of the physical pain and the care burden,because they can ingest them anytime when they think of themselves to lose their autonomy and to become the burden on others.It is necessary to have the comparative cultural study on Death with Dignity.

Death with Dignity in State of Oregon,the United States

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