Euthanasie bij patiënten met dementie

Background

Euthanasia in patients with dementia is legally permitted, but many physicians experience it as (too) complex. They are frightened of the legal consequences and do not know how to assess the nature of the suffering. They also find it difficult to assess the patient’s ability to provide consent.

Case description

Here we describe two cases of patients who were registered at Euthanasia Expertise Centre by a family member: a 72-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease 18 months previously and a 67-year-old man with Lewy body dementia. During the various consultations we had with them we were given a distinct picture of the nature of their suffering, and it became clear to us why they found this suffering unbearable.

Conclusion

By paying extra attention to the assessment of the ability to give consent and by exploring the degree of suffering experienced it is possible to meet the request for euthanasia by a patient with dementia within the framework of the law.

Conflict of interest and financial support: no conflicts of interest have been reported.