The topic of death and dying rang in person to me as I lost my grandfather from a non-covid related condition this past August. Having experienced him becoming ill briefly before the pandemic and then worsening during, I found myself and my family stuck at a crossroads of making safer choices to potentially lengthen his life and wanted to be with him to provide love and care during this difficult time. The experience we had is not unique as many families and terminal patients found themselves with the same dilemma
This poses a question of when should individual wishes be prioritized over public health measures. With many states recognizing the right to die and refuse care as an individual right, it is not a far stretch to think there should be some room to accept risk of exposure during a pandemic. While I cannot entirely speak from the patient perspective I imagine if I were myself in that position I’d find more value in being surrounded in those I care about in my end time (whether that be years, months, or days) than I would in extending my lowered quality of life.
The policy perspective primarily surrounds those patients receiving longterm care within medical facilities. This differs from my personal experience with my family member who would commute to receive care and reside at home. In cases similar to that of mine it falls on the individual families to make decisions based on recommendations however, I found that these recommendations imposed guilt if not followed even to that of my grandfathers wishes. Having been through this experience I find that there is a place for a voice in the public health field that acknowledges that sometimes individual wishes should prevail over the “best” health measures. In times of mass death it is important to not forget that these people are not just statistics but independent people with unique experiences.
Payton: Thank you for sharing the story of your grandfather’s passing. I think you really hit on the nuance toward the end. If someone who is ill or dying at home wants to ignore social distancing or masking, that only impacts them and their family members but when the setting is in a hospital, there are healthcare workers to consider as well. These are hard roads to navigate and I am sorry for your loss.
Your post really intrigued me, Payton, because it reminded me of the legal arguments for assisted suicide. I know that some states have recently allowed it, but for the majority of states, it is illegal. It makes me want to add to your question where if it is the final days of an ill person, should they have the right to have family nearby them, and should they have the right to assisted suicide? Currently, as I go through my own treatments, I couldn’t imagine being alone with no family or loved ones to help. I can’t imagine being on my deathbed alone; in a way, it kind of feels a bit inhumane, a bit anti-human.