End of Life Choices that Permit a Patient Hastened Death - Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)

This is a particularly good video by Judith Schwarz (End of Life Choices New York Clinical Director) and David Hoffman (a lawyer and lecturer in Bioethics at Columbia University). They focus on the nature and legality of Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) as an option for avoiding advanced dementia.

"End of Life Choices in New York State that Permit a Patient-Hastened Death" will be of particular significance for New Yorkers who seek information about legal end of life options that permit a patient to control the circumstances and timing of death. 

VSED is increasingly chosen by capable adults who are suffering unbearably despite good hospice or palliative symptom management. VSED is increasingly recognized by clinicians across the state as a legally and ethically appropriate end of life option for incurably or terminally ill adults who can make an informed choice to hasten their dying process. 

Another end of life choice has recently been proposed by End of Life Choices New York; it is a revolutionary approach to advance medical planning that limits the use of hand feeding in the event the patient is in an advanced state of dementia. Both of these options will be discussed with a view to the clinical issues and concerns these choices might cause.