Karen Burns’ Post

I usually don't post these sort of things, however, I really feel we need change. And the only way to achieve change is to take a clear stance and speak up. This is my personal opinion and view, based on my life experiences, beliefs, upbringing and opinions. I do NOT represent the opinion of my employer. Dorothy House Hospice remains neutral on this matter. I truly believe that it is always better to have choice. No glove fits all and so having different gloves to choose from gives you a chance to pick the one that fits you best. Some people suffer, other people die in a peaceful manner. If you are unfortunate and you have a painful illness or a terminal illness that will rob you of everything you once were, you have no choice other than to go through it until you die naturally (in some cases this could be a long time), irregardless of the quality of your life. Hospices are amazing in what they can do and try in order to help people through the last part of their journey. But they aren't miracle workers. Often a hospice can add a lot of quality to someone's life, which means the positives are still outweighing the negatives. But what we are talking about here is: what if there is no quality of life for the person anymore? What if the pain can't be controlled well enough and the person is suffering? What does it do to a family watching their loved one for weeks or months without much quality of life, or worse, having to suffer through bouts of pain? I am not saying assisted dying is for everyone. I think there are scenarios where it is important that the person can die on their terms when they are ready and where the suffering would just be too much and the quality of life too little. And there are scenarios where it isn't the right option. It depends on the illness, the person and their family (beliefs/religion), it needs to be looked at on an individual basis under the supervision of multiple professionals. BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHOICE Other countries have proven that it can be done ethically and safely. There would be safeguarding in place to make sure this is absolutely in the best interest of the person and their choice. Why are we still not respecting people enough to allow them this choice? Nobody has to opt into it if they don't want it. People deserve to choose what they want to do with their life, let them choose how they want to die. Surely we owe our loved ones that much.

Talking about death is an important part of my work—and while it’s never an easy topic, it’s one we need to face to better prepare ourselves and support others. I’ve always believed that encouraging open conversations about death and dying is a step toward normalising it and, ultimately, helping us live more meaningful lives. The recent discussions surrounding the Assisted Dying Bill have brought the topic of death into the public spotlight. Whatever your perspective on how the vote played out, one thing we can all agree on is the need for better conversations about end-of-life care and improved funding for hospices. This renewed attention on death and dying is a crucial opportunity to reflect, advocate for change, and ensure that everyone has access to compassionate, high-quality end-of-life care when they need it most. Let’s keep talking, keep reflecting, and keep pushing for the kind of care and support that makes a real difference to people and their families. #HospiceLife #EndOfLifeCare #HospiceCare #DeathAndDying #AssistedDying #PalliativeCare #EndOfLifeMatters #DyingMatters https://lnkd.in/ey6uphFA

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26 Gracious Father, You know how deathly afraid we are of death. We ask for your grace and mercy to help us talk about death and dying, well before we have any inkling that we might die. We ask you to give us the words to talk about death and dying with friends and family members who are facing a terminal diagnosis. Help us to talk about things like advance directives, which help us to choose which aggressive medical measures we wish doctors to use when our bodies are shutting down and the hope for a cure is long past. Help us to educate ourselves on these medical measures like CPR which looks nothing in reality like it does on TV, or ventilators, which can prevent a dying person from uttering her last words to her loved ones. Help younger family members to not be frightened when their parents want to discuss their wishes; help elder family members be willing to share their wishes with younger ones. Because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead that we might have forgiveness of sins and join him in eternal glory, give us the courage to prepare for glory by facing our mortality. In Jesus’ courageous name. Amen. Read 1 Corinthians 15:26-28; Hebrews 2:8. For help in having these conversations, check out my book, Preparing for Glory: Biblical Answers to 40 Questions about Living and Dying in Hope of Heaven. To listen to hospice worker and palliative care worker, Kelly Markham, LCSW, discuss these things, go here. #dailyprayer #devotional #hopewriterlife #goodnewsfeed #votd #Biblestudy #grace #dailyverse #womensministry #gospelshaped #shereadstruth #christianliving

It's not too late to add your thoughts on Death, Dying, and Grief to our survey! Have you ever felt lost when it comes to navigating end-of-life decisions? You're not alone. Palliative Care Tasmania and the Death Literacy Institute are teaming up to understand how Tasmanians feel about death, dying, grief, and loss. This is crucial because many people feel unprepared to deal with these inevitable experiences. Here's the reality facing Australians: 🧡 Only 20% know how to navigate the healthcare system for someone dying or needing aged care. 🧡 Just 33% feel confident navigating the funeral industry. 🧡 Half of us don't know where to find information on palliative care, and even fewer (22%) know how to access it locally. Now it's Tasmania's turn to share their thoughts. This survey will help us understand where we stand compared to the rest of Australia. By participating, you'll be contributing to creating resources and support that empower people, communities, and organisations to navigate end-of-life issues with confidence. Take the survey and share your knowledge here - https://lnkd.in/gx8mHXYz Your voice matters. The survey will only take a few minutes of your time and will provide us with invaluable insights for Tasmania. We also encourage you to share it with your networks. Together, we can create a more informed and supported Tasmania when it comes to death, dying, and grief🧡 #tasdeathliteracyindex #deathliteracy #PCT

How did your #MP vote on assisted dying? 👇#AssistedDyingBill 🇬🇧”This is not a conversation about politics, but about conscience and morality. Is it morally correct that people who are suffering, losing dignity with every moment they are forced to cling on to a life escaping them, should have no choice but to relieve themselves of this pain? Is that something we should maintain - especially as individual voting who (to my knowledge) are not terminally ill? Why do we have the right to make that choice for them. Voting for Assisted Dying offers the choice and freedom of decision to return to these individuals. To choose how they wish to pass. To leave life in the way they wish. To be remembered as the person they want to be remembered, instead of Mother Nature & Father Time snatching this from them at every opportunity.” - Indeed it is about compassion, mercy and having empathy beyond just cold arguments based on religion or politics.

The assisted dying bill is being laid before the Scottish Parliament, marking a significant moment in the ongoing debate on end-of-life care and individual autonomy. As discussions unfold, it is crucial to consider the multifaceted nature of assisted dying, including the emotional and legal impact on individuals and their families. Having personally handled relief from forfeiture actions in cases of assisted dying, I have witnessed firsthand the complex and often misunderstood challenges faced by families in such situations. The emotional toll on loved ones, coupled with the legal intricacies of navigating relief from forfeiture actions, underscores the need for empathy and understanding in these delicate circumstances. Organisations like Dignity in Dying advocate for the legalisation of assisted dying, emphasising the importance of individual autonomy and compassion in end-of-life decisions. They highlight the need for robust legal frameworks that protect vulnerable individuals while providing compassionate options for those facing terminal illness and extreme suffering. The current debate on assisted dying reflects evolving societal attitudes towards end-of-life care and personal autonomy. By sharing personal experiences and insights, we can foster a deeper understanding of the emotional and legal complexities involved, ultimately paving the way for more informed and compassionate discussions on this important issue. Should we legalise assisted dying? Kate Goold Bindmans #privateclient #criminallaw #assisteddying

What Does Dignity in Living Really Look Like? I’ve lived with chronic pain for 14 years. Most of my adult life has been shaped by navigating a system that often fails people like me. I mentor others with chronic illnesses and see it every day: Patients dismissed by doctors, waiting months for care, or questioning if their lives matter. When my mum was dying from multiple myeloma, I watched her endure pain that no one should face. She didn’t need a choice to die; she needed better pain management, more support, and compassionate care. Now, a new bill proposes assisted dying for terminally ill people in England and Wales. The proposed Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to be debated on Friday 29th Nov, seeks to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales. But what about those of us who live with unbearable conditions every day? Is this really about dignity, or are we sending a message that some lives aren’t worth living? For many in my community, the thought of death isn’t about choice. It’s about despair. Despair born from neglect, discrimination, and systems that fail to provide dignity in life. Experience from other countries, such as Canada, shows assisted dying laws often expand beyond terminal illnesses. Could this happen here? What message does that send to those with chronic illnesses who endure similar suffering? Before legalizing assisted dying, let’s address systemic failures. Let’s make dignified living the priority. Let's redefine dignity. Not as independence or a life free from pain, but as interdependence, support, and care that shows every life has value. Do you believe we can truly discuss assisted dying without fixing these inequities first? In this article, I discuss these points and more. Thank you to InflamMed Dr Natasha Punia @charlottebonneau for supporting me in voicing my concerns. #ChronicIllness #DisabilityJustice #AssistedDying #HealthcareEquity #ChronicPain

This Friday, the House of Commons votes on whether to allow assisted dying. The proposals will have strong safeguards. To fall within the very limited scope of the legislation, an adult must be judged capable of choice (so not children and those suffering neurodegenerative diseases), have a terminal illness and an expected life expectancy of under six months, must make two separate declarations of a wish to die and have approval from two doctors and a judge. The lethal substance must be taken by the patient themselves. This vote will not involve party whipping. But although not party political, this vote has political and philosophical implications. Whether the Conservatives divide on this issue or largely vote against it as a bloc will be noted and will have an impact. Some of the best people I know in politics are against the Bill. But I believe they are deeply wrong. I do not support assisted dying for those not terminally ill, because people can change their mind and live for a long period afterward. But this Bill is about the risk of people choosing – freely – to limit their life by a matter of weeks, specifically weeks where terminally ill adults are often in extreme pain and distress. Having seen people suffer in my own family, I cannot believe that it is anything other than cruel to deny such people a relief from suffering, from physical pain and mental anguish when they desperately want release. Against those who argue people will be pushed to an early grave, it is more likely that we as a society will continue to force people to live in pain, because we often cannot bear to say goodbye and lose the people that we love. To love someone – to truly love someone – is to accept that they are an autonomous human being whose wants and desires govern their life. It is to accept that they may want things that hurt us. And to be truly loved by others is for them to accept that we too have the right to make our own choices, that we are fundamentally important and have agency. And this is not just the basis of love, but the basis of the modern Western order and civilisation: that we are individual, free-thinking agents who can make decisions and control our own lives. ✍️Alex Morton https://lnkd.in/exm6uqii

🗣️ MPs have just debated the morally complex and politically challenging issue of #AssistedDying. We believe that the public must be at the heart of deciding how we support people to have a 'good death', and that including the public is key to finding a way forward. Our Citizens’ Jury on Assisted Dying, which led to Jersey politicians approving the principle of legalising assisted dying, showed this to be true. (https://lnkd.in/eetbqKjA) 🤔 How did we get to this point? 👇 📆 The debate today on assisted dying came after a petition backed by Dame Esther Rantzen obtained more than 200,000 signatures. 📝 (https://lnkd.in/egFHtbgQ) 🗣️ Back in Feb, Dame Esther renewed her calls for reform after a report by The Health and Social Care Committee suggested that it looked very likely at least one jurisdiction among the UK would allow for assisted dying. (https://lnkd.in/ePwGjrgj) The cross-party committee’s report recognised that the issue was being considered in Jersey, where our citizens' jury with The Government of Jersey helped to find a way forward. Back in 2020, Jersey's Minister for Health & Social Services committed to establishing a Citizens’ Jury, tasked with considering whether Assisted Dying should be legalised in Jersey. This was the first time a government asked the public to come together to listen, learn and discuss the issue of assisted dying. 👂 23 Jury members listened to speakers with wide ranging experience and perspectives, and shared personal and emotional responses to get to a deeper level of discussion and understanding of each other's views. 🔔 But, why was this important? By giving jury members the freedom to discuss at their own pace and with balanced information, what you get in return is their informed judgement, rather than a knee jerk reaction. The Jury voted on its final recommendations after extensive listening; questioning of evidence and deliberating to come to their position. 78% of Jury members voted in favour of assisted dying being permitted in Jersey under specific circumstances. The Government of Jersey had committed up front to listening to the recommendations from the Jury and brought them to the States Assembly for consideration. At Involve, we know how important this is if citizens' time and efforts are to have an impact on decisions. 📝 Laws that relate to people's hope of having a 'good death' are difficult, and morally complex, but in Jersey, our jury demonstrated how involving the public can help to unpack difficult issues, and agree on a clear way forward.

🗞️ NGAW: The need to improve palliative and end of life care This recent report by Marie Curie contains some powerful - and stark - headlines around palliative and end of life care services, stressing the need for urgent action as the population ages to ensure that everyone affected by dying, death and bereavement receives the best possible care and support, whether now or in the future. The report highlights: • Patchy and inconsistent care for people approaching end of life • Health and care staff lack the time to provide care • Inadequate coordination and communication • Extra pressure on family carers 📲 Read this important and insightful report for more: https://buff.ly/3YMs8Ke #NationalGriefAwarenessWeek2024 #NGAW2024