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As people in this stage grow older they experience more and more disease and dementia. They come to a point where they have to make a choice about their lives. Whether that is to stay at home and receive home care or move in to a home and is cared for. There are also decisions which the elderly are faced with regarding life. The question that is then asked by the person, society or family is that “is this a worthy and good life”? This is a question which many people struggle with because who decides whether a life is “worthy”.
Because of advances in medical treatment, people are now able to live longer and to delay death. But the ability to live longer often entails a diminished quality of life for those who suffer from degenerative or incurable diseases. The desire to achieve greater control over decisions relating to life and death has been fuelled by a number of factors, including: the desire to be spared from prolonged suffering; the increased incidence of seriously debilitating diseases, and a better understanding of how medical technology can prolong life and affect the dying process. These factors fostered an interest in euthanasia and cessation of medical treatment.
Although the definitions used in discussions of euthanasia and assisted suicide can vary, the following are based on the report of the Special Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (Of Life and Death, 1995). Euthanasia is the deliberate act undertaken by one person with the intention of ending the life of another person in order to relieve that person’s suffering. Assisted suicide is the act of intentionally killing oneself with the assistance of another who provides the knowledge, means or both.
In 1983, the Law Reform Commission of Canada, the Commission, noted widespread consensus in Canada on three basic principles reflected in Canadian law:
 The protection of human life is a fundamental value.
 The patient has the...