Analysis According to Catholic Social Teaching Principles: End of Life With Dignity and Respect

The Catholic church is one of the largest religious institutions in the world. It upholds that man needs spiritual, physical, emotional, and social growth so that they can be complete (Guo & Jacelon, 2014). The wellbeing of a person depends on the emotional and spiritual status, meaning that it is essential to feed the spirit man with food that comes from religious teachings. On the other hand, the Catholic Church recognizes that life is sacred and the giver of life is the Supernatural Being that controls the universe, hence, every person has a responsibility of taking care of their lives until such a time that God decides to take the breath away from them (Brumley, Enguidanos, & Cherin, 2003). The church also recognizes that sometimes, the human body goes through some suffering due to the diseases that affect the moral man, and accompanied with old age, it becomes necessary for an individual to receive care and attention from family members or medical professionals. This justifies that through the life of a person, dignity and care is upheld. The sick person who is unable to make independent decisions has their family members or the state make critical choices on their behalf with the aim of ensuring that the quality of life lived until the end of time is preserved. The Catholic church believes that no individual has the power or authority to take the life of another. It means that despite the medical condition that a patient may have, he or she has a right to access quality care (Beckstrand, Callister, & Kirchhoff, 2006). Medical experts have no reason to administer medication that can shorten the life of a patient, instead, they should prescribe medicine that can help lower the suffering and amount of pain that a patient might have even though they suffer from a critical condition. The Catholic Church approves of the treatment of patients with dignity and care even though they are at the last stage in life.

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According to Guo & Jacelon (2014), any person that engages in fastening the death process acts against the Catholic principles that uphold the sanctity of life. This is because those who support the death quickening process have lost the respect of life which should be observed by everyone. Deciding on behalf of a patient to make them die also denies them their right and freedom of living. Therefore, the idea of having a physician assisting a patient end his or her life is not accepted by the Catholic church. Brumley, Enguidanos, & Cherin, (2003) emphasize that such ideas limit the power of God, who is perceived to be the giver and the taker of life. The idea that people suffering from critical conditions are okay if they are dead is a concept that gives physician the power to control the life of patients, whereas they should be administering medication so that they can help reduce the pain and suffering that such people have with the aim of making their lives more comfortable with manageable pain.

The Catholic church also affirms that death with dignity lies in the care, affection, and attention accorded to patients that have pre-existing conditions (Guo & Jacelon, 2014). People suffering from chronic ailments that cause them constant pain are in need of medical attention. Some of the patients might be young or old, and depending on the medical issue, they may or may not have the ability to decide on their own. This may necessitate the need to have a caregiver or family member decide on their behalf on the kind of treatment that he or she should receive. Dignity should be one of the factors that decision-makers consider when choosing an option for a patient since even in near death, human beings must be treated with respect. Beckstrand, Callister, & Kirchhoff (2006) argue that despite the religious beliefs in upholding life and avoiding the physician-assisted suicides, then caregivers or family members need to respect the beliefs of the patient. For instance, some individuals may have communicated to their loved ones on how they would like to be treated in the case that they became incapacitated. Some individuals may choose to be administered with euthanasia, which helps reduce the suffering brought by a pre-existing medical condition. The argument by such individuals is that they would rather die and reduce the time spent on earth where they would be subjected to pain, or become highly dependent on machines that would support their lives (Brumley, Enguidanos, & Cherin, 2003). The euthanasia choice of dying assures the patient that they will die peacefully in their bed where it can be fast, and since the process does not involve any pain, then it becomes more comfortable for patients that have faced pain for a long time.

Brumley, Enguidanos, & Cherin, (2003) suggest that the belief and faith in religion are enough to offer patients comfort even though they might be suffering from a significant amount of pain in the physical. The notion that the belief in God is tested through the hard times becomes relevant at a time that a patient is suffering from chronic pain. Hence, with faith and high trust in the Supernatural power, then it is possible to go through the pain and share the good news about Christ, which can help transform the lives of people both in the short-term and in the long-term. It is immoral to harm or cause an end to life, despite the suffering and pain that a patient might be feeling. The social teaching of life upholds the assumption that since life is sacred, prayers and support can help ease the process of pain. Beckstrand, Callister, & Kirchhoff (2006) argue that in deciding life and death, one should consider their religious belief, which acts as a guide to the decision made in the long-term. For instance, if a person believes that the pain they have is a positive message to people who share the same religious faith, like in the case of a Catholic faithful who is sick, then he or she might be willing and committed to withstand the pain. However, the church affirms that its followers should maintain an open mind and accept the treatment accorded to them by qualified physicians as it has a possibility of reducing the suffering they might have and help restore their health. In addition, if a patient perceives that the treatment option they receive might have detrimental effects on their families because there is no possibility of getting well, then one can choose to refuse the treatment. This will help preserve resources for a family.

Nevertheless, a patient has the right to access medical care and treatment even though he or she chooses to refuse the procedure. The consideration extended to the patients is an obligation as healthcare facilities, home-based care treatment, or hospice care centers must ensure the individuals continue to get the necessary care and attention (Beckstrand, Callister, & Kirchhoff, 2006). It is also important for the patients to receive information and details about their health condition as well as the treatment options that exist for them. This includes the possibility of recovering, potential costs, and side-effects that they may have both in the short-term and in the long-term. In addition, it is important to inform the patients of other options that exist for them so that they can make informed decisions (Guo & Jacelon, 2014). The options given to patients who practice the Catholic faith should allow them to make a moral decision that does not go against the church's teachings. If a family member is chronically ill and there is no hope of such a patient recovering, then such an individual can be placed under the home-based-care option or be transferred to a hospice care center, popularly known as palliative care. However, in the event that patients are retained at home, then a regular caregiver should be ready and willing to observe the patient, as and when needed. The caregiver is trained in the way of taking care of a patient, which means that such a professional addresses the needs of the sick individual. This holistic approach ensures the patient lives well and is comfortable despite the amount of pain they might have had in the past, and currently experiencing (Guo & Jacelon, 2014). A home-based caregiver partners with the family members to ensure that the patient gets the best service to them at all times. Most family members may reject the idea of placing their loved ones in the palliative care centers due to the negative and misplaced conceptions about the treatment that patients receive, which leaves them with the option of partnering with a home-based-care giver. However, a Catholic believer has an option of researching the available palliative care centers that are around their locality and admitting their loved one to one that upholds the religious faith.

Conclusion

Palliative care helps a patient and his or her family members come to terms with the fact that one of their loved ones is suffering from an incurable condition (Guo & Jacelon, 2014). Placing a loved one in palliative care means that they can access quality medical attention whether they are in the last days on earth before their death or will live longer than expected. Caregivers at the palliative care ensure that patients receive care and comfort, but also emphasize on prolonging the lives of individuals placed under their care. The holistic approach adopted by palliative care centers ensures that patients' needs are met, including their spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and psychological (Brumley, Enguidanos, & Cherin, (2003). The wellbeing of a patient affects the response that he or she gives towards a treatment plan. The notion of dying with dignity lies in the fact that every person's life matters and an assurance that palliative care ensures that a patient has a smooth transition between life and death. Guo & Jacelon (2014) recognize that the idea of dying with dignity might translate to the idea that patients might need to be assisted to die so that they can ease the pain and suffering they have brought by diseases. Dignity can also be interpreted to mean having a choice on whether to accept treatment options or not and even choosing the venue and time when one can die. It also borders on the fact that a patient has the right to access information about the options they have when at the palliative care as well as the control over the options they choose to follow. Brumley, Enguidanos, & Cherin, (2003) suggest that an undignified situation arises when a patient becomes fully dependent on others and is often accompanied by suffering inflicted by the high level of pain that a patient feels. However, Beckstrand, Callister, & Kirchhoff (2006) affirms that the issue of dignity is on the assumption that as a human being, it cannot be lost and external or internal factors do not affect its value. This justifies the fact that even when patients become dependent on others, mostly their family members or the caregivers, they are still living a dignified life. Therefore, the idea of relying on others due to disease is a dignified act since no person invites diseases to their lives, and the caregivers and other experts are the people who have the responsibility of treating the sick with dignity until such a time one dies. Additionally, the feeling of dignified or undignified depends on the perception and attitudes that society has towards sick people who are dependent on the caregivers or family members (Beckstrand, Callister, & Kirchhoff, 2006). For instance, an elderly patient may lack the strength due to the disease and old age, which necessitates the need to have caregivers attend to them all the time. Human beings depend on a support syst...