D66 pushing for improved euthanasia options for people suffering from dementia

People suffering from dementia should have better access to euthanasia, D66 thinks. It is currently “too often” the case that people suffering from dementia do not meet the criteria for assisted suicide because they cannot illustrate their request for it or cannot repeat it. D66, who made the assisted suicide laws possible, wants to remove euthanasia from the Criminal Code and is preparing a private member's bill to this effect, the party announced on Wednesday.

They want this because it is being reported that doctors are more reluctant to grant people with dementia a euthanasia request because they fear that they will be prosecuted if they do not meet all due diligence requirements.

“Many Dutch citizens suffer from dementia, and that leads to a lot of sadness. Not just for people with dementia but also for their relatives. The illness leads to stressful and heartbreaking situations that people had no choice in,” said D66 leader Rob Jetten.

An estimated 300,000 people in the Netherlands suffer from dementia, and this number may rise to 500,000 people in 2040.

Since 2002, doctors in the Netherlands have been allowed to apply euthanasia to people who consciously and voluntarily submitted a request for it. The requests are only granted in cases involving unbearable and hopeless suffering.

Doctors are allowed to grant the requests of people suffering from dementia, but if the illness is advanced, then the thinking ability and capacity to make decisions are limited. This leads to doctors struggling with the requests as the suffering cannot be exactly determined, and an earlier request for euthanasia cannot be re-confirmed.

That is why the social liberal party wants to have euthanasia removed from the Criminal Code. Doctors who work carelessly would then be judged by disciplinary law, as is currently the case with other medical mistakes.

According to D66, it is not enough to only change the due diligence requirements for people suffering from dementia because it could still then be interpreted in several different ways, said a parliament member for the party, Wieke Paulusma.

In addition, D66 also want care of people with dementia to be improved. For example, they wish for every person diagnosed with dementia to have a conversation with their general practitioner within three months of their diagnosis about the illness and their wishes. They would also be given a case manager under the parties plans.

They also want doctors to improve their knowledge about complex requests for assisted suicide, like with cases involving dementia.