More willing to think about death

Death may still be a relatively taboo topic in Singapore, but statistics from the Health Ministry (MOH) show that more people are warming up to the idea of signing a “living will”, instructing doctors not to prolong their life with extraordinary life-sustaining treatment if they become terminally-ill and unconscious.

Said Dr Lalit Krishna, a senior consultant in palliative medicine at National Cancer Centre Singapore: “We live in a society which still considers the discussion of death as taboo … Families too remain resistant to such conversations in a society that places a great deal of value upon the idea of hope.”

Read more here – TODAYonline | Singapore | More willing to think about death.

Living With The End In Mind

As a nation, Singapore is at times seemingly relentless in striving to improve its quality of life. Now, it must do more to enhance its quality of death. As the country advances further to First World status, in some areas, serious deficiencies have opened up, fresh fissures stretched further by driving forces such as a rapidly silver-haired population, fewer babies, and smaller nuclear families downsizing to the limit: individuals living out the rest of their days alone. How to raise the quality of end-of-life care—so as to raise the quality of life itself—is more urgent a question than ever.

This study, commissioned by the Lien Foundation in Singapore, places the spotlight squarely on a subject whose importance can only expand. The project’s ultimate end in mind is to achieve greater widespread public and professional awareness, and to garner support for all relevant ways to enhance the environment for quality palliative and end-of life care, from the home to hospice and hospital systems, and everything else in between, that can help facilitate a good death, for a better life.

Read more in Lien Foundation’s Living With The End In Mind. On the same note, doctors face and ethical dilemma when caring for the dying.

The study said: “One of the most difficult ethical issues doctors face is the issue of withholding their diagnosis from patients at the family’s request. While the legal position makes it clear that doctors have an obligation to give full and frank disclosure to their patients, they often find that they need to work hard on family members to be allowed to talk to patients truthfully.”

Read more at TODAYOnline – Dying patients have less say in care and treatment than their families do.