Whose death is it?

Until the mid-20th century most people died at home with their family and community around them. We now live longer into old age and most people die in hospitals, hospices or care homes with a large variety of professionals involved in our deaths. However, there are various ways you can make choices in the way you die.

You can refuse life-sustaining treatments at the time they are offered. You can complete in advance a document outlining what you do or do not want to happen, such as a do-not-resuscitate order, in case later you are unable to communicate. What is not available legally in the UK is euthanasia or assisted dying. Healthcare professionals can not intentionally end life even to relieve suffering or to help someone who wants to die achieve this. Assisted dying is legal in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and several states in the USA.