QUALITY OF LIFE AND EUTHANASIA Walter Jacob

QUESTION: Does Jewish tradition recognize the"quality of life" as a factor in determining medical and general care to preserve and prolong life? 1 have four specific cases in mind. In the first the patient is in a coma, resides in a nursing home and has not recognized anyone for several years. In the second, the patient is in a nursing home, completely paralyzed and can not speak or make his wishes known in any way. The third is a victim of a stroke, sees no hope for recovery or even major improvement, wishes to die and expresses this wish constantly to anyone who visits. The fourth is slowly dying of cancer, is in great pain and wants a prescription which will relieve her of pain but will probably also slightly hasten death. All of these patients are in their early eighties; none is receiving any unusual medical attention. Should we hope for a new medical discovery which will help them?(Rabbi R. H. Lehman, New York , NY )*

ANSWER: The considerations which govern euthanasia have been discussed by the Committee in a recent responsa(W. Jacob ed., American Reform Responsa,#79, 1980). The conclusion of that responsum stated:

We would not endorse any positive steps leading toward death. We would recommend pain-killing drugs which would ease the remaining days of a patient’s life.

We would reject any general endorsement of euthanasia, but where all independent life’ has ceased and where the above-mentioned criteria of death have been met, further medical support systems need not be continued.

The question here goes somewhat further as we are not dealing with life threatening situations, but with the general question of Prolonging life when its quality may be questionable. In none of these Situations has any current extraordinary medical attention been provided. In two of the cases the cognitive and/or communicative ability seems to