Context
For more than 20 years the "end of life" has been a recurrent issue, the management of which has fallen to health professionals. 75% of people die in a hospital, knowing that the passage from life to death is often a process that takes time. Because death takes place in this context, it calls on the caregivers to accompany the patients in the final phase.
But, the end of life situations are not the same: there are wounded or sick people, who after a vascular accident are in outdated intensive care units, quadriplegics, persons in persistent vegetative states, adults or children (especially premature babies in neonatal resuscitation). Two fundamental questions must be answered: is there an end of life and can the person express his will?
The limits of these "ends-of-life" which must be determined raise delicate social issues which place the persons concerned, when they can express themselves, as well as those around them and their caregivers who have a mission to maintain life, face to face with very difficult choices. In making decisions, one is confronted with feelings and reason, values and rights, liberties and prohibitions.
Several affairs extensively covered by the media during the last few years have really opened the debate on assisted suicide, or “euthanasia”.
This session seeks to understand the different situations of the end of life and its philosophical, sociological, medical and legal dimensions and, through the analysis of specific situations, to present the current state of French legislation and to compare it with foreign legislation.
Pedagogy
Designed, directed and led by experts, this session, through its inter-professional and multidisciplinary approach, as well as the presence of participants from various professional backgrounds permit each to enrich reflection on this societal subject.