The New Old Age: At the End of Life, a Delicate Calculus

By By Jane Gross in the New York Times - November 6, 2008 Washington state joins Oregon in legalizing physician-assisted suicide, but for terminal patients and their doctors the questions are growing more difficult. The Washington State proposition passed by a margin of 59 to 41 percent, and like the Oregon measure, which withstood several legal challenges, contains many safeguards intended to prevent hasty and ill-considered decisions. Patients requesting this assistance must be mentally competent, residents of the state, have six months or less to live according to two physicians, wait 15 days after their initial request and then repeat that request both orally and in writing. They must be capable of administering the lethal medication themselves and agree to counseling if their physicians request it. In addition, these patients also must be informed by their health care providers of other feasible alternatives. Read the Act: The Washington Death with Dignity Act