Cheaper yes
Accessible no
I don't know much about the accessibility and am going by reports that - with the baby boomers eventually reaching old age - there will be a requirement for a whole different approach to aged care. That's going to be some while away (I hope) and I've accepted the suggestion that governments will pay more attention to providing decent home care plans, even if they have to be partly paid for by the individual.
Which, if it happens, will raise a whole new argument about the non-affluent receiving sub-standard care.
The whole idea might be complete pie in the sky political soothing and come to nothing.
The other thing is that eg for palliative care, why would a practitioner go it alone in the community with limited support?
Well, I suppose that would have to change, or alternatively hospitals could expand to running an in-home palliative care system. It does happen to some extent now but is grossly inadequate.
The advocates of palliative care in their zest to ensure voluntary euthanasia continues to be eschewed, blithely offer assurances that most pain can be controlled. Talking to people in their last years, pain seems to be much less of a problem than
* the side effects of large doses of opiates
* the indignity of being unable to wash and use the toilet independently
* the indignity of being fed
* because of inadequate staffing, often being literally starved and dehydrated.
I can't blame her for refusing to move into the Care Facility, which is organised and run as a one-size-fits-all at the level of Dementia patients: No privacy; no personal items like phone, computer, mementos; organised "entertainment"; piped music.
Sounds appalling. Are there no alternatives? Here most of the nursing homes have single, ensuite rooms, some with doors opening to small terrace, about ten of which are grouped around a central living area and kitchen. This pattern is replicated probably ten times throughout the institution.
Still awful though, in terms of the inevitability of having to eat when they decree, etc and particularly horrible for people who are by nature solitary.
The woman who ran the establishment where my father existed for a few months before he drowned himself phoned me one day for permission to call for a psychiatric assessment simply because my father insisted he would not be forced to play bingo. She did not get that permission. I wouldn't play bingo either.
Separately a few weeks ago I described the dreadful experience of a woman under the 'care' of the Adult Guardian in NSW. Because she voiced her anger and misery at not being allowed to go home, even though she had the financial means to pay for care at home, she was held down by four people and injected with an anti-psychotic drug. She is now much more compliant, just a zombie which is what they wanted.
Should I deteriorate into a similar situation, not have a carer willing to push my wheelchair, help change the linen, or help me socialise with at least one or two "sane" people, I'm sure I'd also seek "treatment" from Dr Nitschke.
If his enemies haven't had him completely criminalised by then. And he's not going to be able to write you a neat little prescription for a lethal dose of a barbiturate. Unless I've missed something about what he is and is not able to do, he can only tell you the appropriate dose of Nembutal which you then need to travel to Mexico etc and find a veterinary supplies shop which will sell it to you.
Then you have to lie to Customs in your declaration that you are not bringing any prohibited products into the country. If you then get searched, it will certainly be confiscated and I don't know what penalties will be applied.
I certainly couldn't do that. Am a hopeless liar for a start.
PS: Julia, I don't consider the above so much a discussion about dying, but still as planning for years of living. Making decisions for how I want to live under various hypothetical conditions is IMHO part of future life planning. To me, that includes making a Will, signing an EPA and instructions for medical practitioners in case of permanent disablement etc. But let's not debate semantics; if you consider that's a discussion about death and dying, by all means let's do it under this topic.
OK, I understand what you mean now.
There is, however, as I'd have expected, minimal interest in the topic it seems. Also it becomes rather too personal for comfort if pursued much further than this, for me at least.