The+Living+Will

Alzheimer, Dementia and the Living Will- A Proposal
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Burlá, Claudia, et al. "Alzheimer, Dementia and the Living Will: A Proposal." Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy, vol. 17, no. 3, Aug. 2014, pp. 389-395. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s11019-014-9559-8.

Because the age of living has drastically increased, people are now being diagnosed with incurable degenerative diseases. Longer life comes with health issues that are associated with older aged people. Because medicine has advanced, people may now prolong their life if they are diagnosed with such diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. However, what if people do not want these treatment options? According to the article, these treatments go against some people’s ethical values. This is where living wills become relevant. A living will can state what a person does or does not want if they are in a situation where they are unresponsive. This article is good for my research because it shows the purpose of a living will. This article also gives a good scenario in which why people may want to consider a living will. Normally I think of living wills as being in place for children when their parents die. The journal gave me another perspective by showing that the wills could be used for ethical reasons.

Role of the Medical Examiner in Zika Virus and Other Emerging Infections
Singh, Veena D. and Sarah L. Lathrop. "Role of the Medical Examiner in Zika Virus and Other Emerging Infections." Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, vol. 141, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 82-84. EBSCOhost, doi:10.5858/arpa.2016-0327-SA.

Most people think that only homicides and suicides are investigated by medical examiners. However, infections such as the Zika virus are also inspected. Zika’s symptoms usually include a headache, rash, or abdominal pains, and are normally resolved in a week. Medical examiners’ review infections in the body because autopsy findings determine details about what happens when a person is infected with a disease. Although not thought of as much as doctors, medical examiners should be considered when discussing healthcare because they protect the public from hazardous infections.

Since my topic is about death and medical practices, I think this is relevant. Medical examiners would not have a job if life was immortal because their jobs revolve around death. Examiners inspect deceased people to figure out their cause of death. It is uncommon to think of medical examiners performing autopsies on people disease related deaths. That is a reason why I chose this article for my research question. It gives insight on a topic that most people do not know or think about.

Can We Limit a Right to Physician-Assisted Suicide?
Yao, Teresa. "Can We Limit a Right to Physician-Assisted Suicide?." National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 385-392. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.gsu.edu/login? url= [].

In the United States, there are only a few states that have legalized physician- assisted suicide (PAS). Where physician-assisted suicide is legal, it is only considered if the patient has a terminal illness with a short life expectancy. In studies, most people agreed that this form of suicide is acceptable if the person has a disability. Shockingly, people thought that mental disabilities were more justified for PAS than unbearable pain. If PAS is legalized, the United States would have to extend the right for it to be available to anyone with unbearable pain, not just people with terminal illnesses. The United States cannot describe how unbearable someone’s pain is, so ultimately anyone would be able to retrieve physician-assisted suicide if it was legalized.

This source would be great for the physician-assisted suicide (PAS) part of my research question. The article answers problems that occur with this type of suicide. It also explores laws that have been made by PAS. This article could be used to explain why people choose this option of suicide and why other people do not agree with it.