eli5: Patients in hospice care are often unconscious due to high doses of sedative drugs, and are given no intravenous fluids, which leads to death by dehydration. Why is this done? Is there any difference between this and physician-assisted suicide?

Question

eli5: Patients in hospice care are often unconscious due to high doses of sedative drugs, and are given no intravenous fluids, which leads to death by dehydration. Why is this done? Is there any difference between this and physician-assisted suicide?

In: Other

Answer 1

I am 79 and have chosen Do Not Resuscitate as an end-of-life option. I am glad to see that most people who responded to the question are well-educated in the mechanics of dying. There is a hospice nurse on Youtube who explains very well what can be expected at the end of life. If you’re interested, search Youtube for hospice nurse Julie.