Dying from dehydration is quite painful. And there is big chance person will not finish it. They "give up" on giving up (pun intended) and break water fast after a few days. On top of old illness, they may get damaged liver, preexisting kidney stones will manifest, hypoglycemic reaction, all sorts of nasty allergies... Amazing way to make a few remaining months even less pleasant!
It seems clear to me you have never seen this procedure done. It was rather traumatic for me having to be one of the people responsible for the final caregiving (it does not seem logical to provide such comforts as small water or medicine to someone committed to dying) but it was important for closure. I hope you dont have to witness it or make this choice yourself.
Personally, I find doctor assisted suicide to be both unethical and amoral. While people may disagree with me I see no difference between MAID and paying someone to hang you as instantaneous death is guaranteed in both ways and it is done by a sanctioned murderer. VSED is entirely in the dying person's control, and thus to me is not unethical nor amoral as the control of life is in the person who owns that life.
If relative asked me to help with this, I would just get an illegal gun with all the risks. Much safer!
I am pretty sure in my country (EU) this would be qualified as domestic abuse. Not giving water to senior who can not communicate is gross neglect, probably 2 years in prison. Nobody can simply consent to this, no matter how much paper work you fill in.
And dry fast may trigger all sort of illnesses. If they terminate fast, you end with senior who needs way more care. Kidney stones are particularly painful, and may be unrepeatable at advanced age!
Lock them up and force feed them?
On 4th day person would get fewer, passes out... Skin tone changes... Everyone would be able to see this was not normal death. Coroner will have question why you did not call an ambulance... and left him there for days...
Really, gun is so much easier option. It is easy to make video that proves who pulled the trigger.
Even if it is painful, it is still their right to choose.
Your opinions are also not reflected in medical studies and surveys of hospice nurses[1][2].
I get where you're coming from about having problems with the tone of the website, and that it doesn't say "this is a nasty way to die, it's going to feel awful". But on the other hand it's trying to push for self autonomy in an area where it's criminalised.
Really laws need to change to give people options.
This charade with dry fast is way more risky for care giver. Takes several days and person would be passed out for a long time. It is like hodling your breath to die...
Yes, I understand the differences between one causing the other and in the other instance not, but it doesn't change the end results(being force fed).
I can think of examples of incredible torture that people have had imposed on them, I just don't see the relevance of the fact that it has been done before.