SAFEGUARD DD FOR LIFE-ENDING DECISIONS

THE PATIENT MUST BE AN ADULT RESIDENT OF THE STATE

    The patient who is considering life-ending decisions
must be at least 18 years of age
and a legal resident of the state (or country)
in which the life-ending decision is proposed.

    Birth certificate, driver's license,
& other commonly-accepted proofs of age and residence
should be easy for the patient to provide.
When the patient is registered for hospital or hospice care,
the questions of age and address are usually already settled.

    These safeguards are often assumed rather than specified.
But a few circumstances make them relevant.

    For example, if there is some question raised
about the assumed age of the patient,
then it might have to be proved that the patient is an adult
—at least 18 years old in most places—
so that it is clear that the patient is the primary decider
and not the parents of the patient or some other guardian.

    Likewise, if the patient is not a legal resident of the state (or country)
then various problems could arise for any providers of services. 

    And many states (and countries) do not want to attract
patients from other places coming to their state (or country) in order to die.
This has not happened in Oregon,
which does have a residency requirement.
But it has happened in Switzerland, which does not require residency.




HOW ADULTHOOD AND RESIDENCY DISCOURAGE
IRRATIONAL SUICIDE AND OTHER PREMATURE DEATHS


    Irrational suicide is known to be a problem for teen-agers.
So requiring patients to be at least 18 years of age
will discourage some teen-agers from using right-to-die laws
as a cover for what most people would call an irrational suicide
a self-killing that is harmful, foolish, capricious, & regrettable.

    When a child has a condition that makes him or her
a candidate for chosen death,
the parents of that child are the legal deciders for him or her. 
Because the parents are already adults,
they are assumed to be wiser than their children.

    Children need adult guidance in making most decisions in life,
especially when the children are very young
and when the decisions are irreversible
such as choosing death.
Preventing children from even thinking of death as the escape
should encourage them to seek other ways to solve their problems.
In almost all cases, when teens choose death, it is too soon.

    The residency requirement of some states and countries
can discourage people of unstable mind and unsettled address
from rather foolishly hoping
that going to a place where chosen death is permitted
will be the answer to all of their problems.
The state or country should not help such persons to die.

    However, if a certain state or country legalizes the right-to-die
by outlawing causing premature death
rather than establishing some process of applying for death,
then being an adult or a resident is not relevant,
since people of any age or residence can suffer premature death.
When anyone is harmed by the behavior of anyone else
the age or address of the victim should not be considered.
  


drafted January 2007; revised 8-28-2008; 9-10-2008; 10-9-2008; 2-12-2010; 5-19-2010;
5-21-2011; 2-4-2012; 2-7-2012; 2-23-2012; 3-24-2012; 8-3-2012; 8-23-2012;
3-6-2013; 6-28-2013; 2-19-2015; 7-9-2015; 1-13-2016; 2-9-2018; 5-21-2020;


Go to the Catalog of Safeguards for Life-Ending Decisions



Go to the list of 26 recommended safeguards.
The above safeguard is not one of these 26.

But the above discussion of the age and residence of the patient
is Safeguard DD in How to Die: Safeguards Life-Ending Decisions:
"The Patient Must be an Adult Resident of the State".

Another chapter explores safeguards for children:
Chapter 53  Safeguards for Making Life-Ending Decisions for Children



Go to the index page for the Safeguards Website.



Go to the Right-to-Die Portal.




Go to the beginning of this website
James Leonard Park—Free Library