practical living we would rather die ?). But it also tells us how much older people have been socialised into dying , so much so that they see dying as a solution to a housing and care problem .
Hardly surprising , older people have now become suspicious of anything that asks them to sign up to end of life practices , given they know what goes on in hospitals and aged care homes better than most . And they may well be right with Cardona ’ s research now indicating that Advanced Care Directives don ’ t increase death-literacy or result in a better death . Let alone that they might make it that much easier to hasten death .
With the risks of death-hastening so great , we identified four possible safeguards , none of which currently exist !
We could raise consciousness of death-hastening and call it out . We could pro-actively include families in aged care , and build an understanding of the range of practices that exclude them . We could build communities where older people live better , because Buettner ’ s research
shows where they live better , they live longer . And we could ensure that the new rights legislation arising from the Royal Commission recommendations includes the right to live out your life .
The empire will argue that all this is denial that some older people are dying and of their right to a ‘ good death ’. Confusion is rampant here , but building a case for a ‘ good death ’ without safeguards against death-hastening comes with serious risks both for older people and good practice .
Who ’ s running this show ? Are the providers doing the community ’ s deathhastening bidding or is the community colluding with the providers ’ bidding ? What we do know is that we are increasingly feeling caught between the love we feel for a frail older relative or friend … and wanting medical science and care to deal with the issue so that we can get on with our lives . And providers do that for us , often with great ‘ kindness ’.
So , let ’ s name all death-hastening practices for what they are , and build the four safeguards . Let ’ s also build our
“
It ’ s not their death that they are worried about but the years of suffering before it .
culture to include a ‘ good death ’. But more than anything let ’ s put a lot of energy into becoming one of those places in the world where people live longer , better … before they die . ■
Mike Rungie specialises in the intersection between good lives and aged care . He is a member of a number of boards and committees including ACFA , Every Age Counts , Global Centre for Modern Ageing and GAP Productive Ageing Committee .
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