observer Posted November 14, 2016 Report Share Posted November 14, 2016 With the news that dementia has superceded cronic-heart disease as the biggest cause of ill-health dependency in the UK, has euthanasia been placed firmly on the table? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Well, the news item mentioned that one of the reasons that dementia had shot up the "cause of death" league table was that people were living longer. At least we can be comforted by the fact the other previous killer diseases are being brought under control in order to provide an increasing number of dementia victims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 With the NHS and care services dying on their feet, and costs due to dementia set to rocket; perhaps a more pragmatic response is required. I'm sure most folk wouldn't want to become part of a huge care/cost burden, and could volunteer, once diagnosed, for termination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 You should start investing in euthanasia clinics then, you could make a killing. Â Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Are you putting your name forward Obs? Pour encourager les autres? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 One volunteers, before one forgets ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Don't book holidays too far in the future Obs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 This is just another example of why the future is looking bleak (for us all). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Don't be too down hearted Obs, at least we live quite a bit longer than the cavemen did & we can hopefully have  pleasurable  lives & not just a need to survive. The only pleasure cavemen got was chasing Raquel Welch look alikes round the countryside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Don't think many baby boomers will be around for this Dave; certainly won't be paying for it anyway ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 What exactly is dementia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 I forget Sid; but I think it's similar to alzeimers !   In any event, it will give a whole new meaning and scale to granny farming. There could of course be an up-side to this, if they all fill in organ donor cards first ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Looked it up on the nhs website. Quite interesting in a way as dementia has no single cause and is basically a catch all term for any number of debilitating brain diseases usually manifesting in later life. Â Alzeimers is one one form that can strike at any age apparently. Saying that the symptoms are usually the same or very similar does make it a bit confusing though Especially when you get older. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 With similar outcomes, the problem remains the same; so, are we prepared, can we afford, the level of care necessary to provide dignity for victims ?  Charities are already criticising falling standards in elderly care services, and I think we're all aware of the effect of "bed blocking" on NHS Hospitals, who face financial crisis. This disease is one that impacts on relatives, emotionally and financially, and the question is: do we sweep the issue under the carpet, fudging any debate or decision, and allowing inhumane and undignified outcomes OR provide a logical pathway for victims ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 But on the other side of the coin a deceased child has been granted her wish posthumously to be frozen until a cure can be found for the cancer that killed her. Who will pay for that & for how long ?  The family ,the NHS ? The treatment is taking place in America so it won't be cheap & if the family cannot pay after so long the NHS may have to takeover funding ad infinitum or defy a court ruling.  So will euthanasia or not & cryogenics all depend on your bank balance ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 I sincerely hope the NHS won't be saddled with the fantasies of a 14 year old. Both parents could have agreed to the girl's wishes, then reneged on it when she died, and she is dead, no coming back. The facts of life, and death can be quite hard to take for a generation being brought up on dreams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 I didn't realise the shadow cabinet was so young! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Their supporters are ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 But on the other side of the coin a deceased child has been granted her wish posthumously to be frozen until a cure can be found for the cancer that killed her. Who will pay for that & for how long ?  The family ,the NHS ? The treatment is taking place in America so it won't be cheap & if the family cannot pay after so long the NHS may have to takeover funding ad infinitum or defy a court ruling.  So will euthanasia or not & cryogenics all depend on your bank balance ? That's so very sad  I can understand why parents would want to grant their dying child's last wish though if they could and perhaps hope that science would one day prevail. Rights or wrongs of it, or if it will ever be possible, to find a cure and then bring a frozen 'person' back to life and treat them successfully for something they have already died from is all beyond me. Maybe one day it will be possible though..who knows. Saddest thing though to me is that it may take so long that the frozen person could come back to life so far in the future that all their family, friends and everything then once knew is gone anyway. Now that would be hard to deal with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Yes Dizzy, who would that person be ? Would the child still be 14 Â or 214 years old when a cure was found with maybe no recognisable living relatives ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Given current levels of cryogenics it is even doubtful that she would be able to be revived even after a short while. Frozen sperm and embryos have a certain shelf life i believe but they are relatively small organisms with little or no actual memories other than the genetic coding. Larger things such as people do not fare so well according to certain "experts" and i would also question if the person that was revived would have any memories whatsoever after an extended period of cryo storage.  The reason that the court ruled as it did was that the parents could not agree. The mother was all for the procedure (what mother would not want their daughter or son to have a chance to live a longer life no matter how slim the odds) but the father wasn't hence the case went to court and the judge ,after visiting the girl in question, ruled in favour of the mother and the girl.  As for the age she would be both providing all her memories remained. Her mental and physical age would be 14 but her actual existence age would be 214.(the date of the NOW minus the date of her birth) A bit like time travel really but one way into the future, something we all do by the way,so in effect we are all time travellers of a sort evn though in actuality we live in the little glow of light that is now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Some big assumptions in all this: 1) That science will ever be capable of achieving resurrection of the dead and 2) that human civilisation will still be around in hundreds or thousands of years time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Euthanasia or cryogenics....is either procedure morally correct ,but the courts are there to test the ethics for a price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 I digress, but there are historical reports of shipwrecked sailors in life boats resorting to the unethical practise of canabalism in order to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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