Challenges for Local Support Organization under Aid in Dying Law in the United States

• In Event: 1483 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 02. Social Contexts of Aging, Health, and Dying

Abstract

Death with Dignity in the U.S. defined the death by which someone took the medications prescribed by physician under the compliance with law. The terminal patients decide when they would take the lethal medications. I would also be important to support for the patients.
This paper explored the conflict for the supporters who had engaged with the terminal patients and their family and so forth, by comparative investigation of the support structure at the local support organizations among Oregon, Washington and Vermont.
As a results two things were cleared blow. Firstly, the commonality of the three States was that “Minimizing” of National Support Organization was contained the conflict for the supporters in Local Support Organizations. For Local Support Organizations, the activities, which means that more people will know more about the philosophy of Death with Dignity, and will make the supporters increased, will bring not only more donation but also stable management at Local Support Organization, although this brought the independent from National Support Organization. This means “Positive Cycle.”
Secondly, the difference among these three States was the organization type, which meant the satellite network divided four areas in Oregon, the focused organization with whole area in Washington, and the focused network with whole area in Vermont. These kinds of difference were output the result how they recognized the conflict of, and how they coped with the Minimizing of National Support Organization.

Author

• Shizuko Katagiri, Kagoshima University