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Can a healthy person die by refusal of treatment?
Mentally competent patients have the right to refuse treatment, including life-saving treatment, and including nutrition and hydration.
So, consider this hypothetical scenario:
Suppose I'm healthy, but I'm just tired of life. I walk into a hospital and say, "I want to die by dehydration. I will not eat or drink, and I refuse all life-saving treatment, including hydration and nutrition. I will only accept palliative care."
Would the hospital have to comply with my request, letting me slowly die, even though I'm otherwise healthy?
@How would I Know: I meant healthy to begin with. Of course I would not be healthy once I became dehydrated, but my right to refuse treatment wouldn't change.
@wizjp: OK, suppose I sit in the waiting room until I become dehydrated. Then would they let me die?
@jim: But your answer would imply that the right to refuse life-saving treatment is self defeating, because as soon as anyone refused life-saving treatment, they would be declared incompetent. But this isn't the case; people refuse life-saving treatment all the time.
@Henry: see my response to jim. If wanting to die was sufficient to be declared mentally incompetent, then the right of competent patients to refuse life-saving treatment would be self-defeating, which it isn't.
5 Answers
- Lone CatLv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
If you want to die, that is enough to say that your not mentally healthy. So once he say you want to die, then they can force you to do what they want. Or for that matter, refusing to drink water would be enough to say that you have a mental disorder.
- Anonymous8 years ago
By stating that you wish to commit suicide the state will declare you incompetent and therefore you will not be given the choice. You would never be considered MENTALLY healthy to do what you wish. The physically healthy situation would not enter into the equation.
- ?Lv 48 years ago
Well, once you're dehydrated you are no longer healthy. So that presents a logical problem for your question.
- Anonymous8 years ago
I am Healthy and I need no treatment currently its normally unhealthy people that need it. Someone that has something wrong with them health wise.
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- wizjpLv 78 years ago
They are not checking you in in the first place. Nothing wrong with your body anyway.
