| Baroness Mary
Warnock, who has made similar calls in recent years,
first made her remarks in a Church of Scotland
magazine.
She told the BBC she believed
there were many who "sank into dementia when they
would very much prefer to die".
But Alzheimer's charities called
her remarks "insensitive and ignorant".
Around 700,000 people in the UK
have dementia and the number is expected to double
within 30 years.
'Dread'
Lady Warnock says there should be
more research to establish when people with dementia
and Alzheimer's disease can still be regarded as
mentally competent, so that they can make a decision
that they wish to be helped to die if they reach a
certain point in their illness.
"We need more research to find out
at what point one can say people diagnosed with
Alzheimer's or dementia are still mentally competant
to make the decision that they would prefer to die,
rather than be a burden on their families or the NHS."
She praised the recently
introduced Mental Capacity Act which gives people
the right to appoint someone to act for them if
cannot make decisions themselves.
But she addded: "I still think
that there is a very huge number of people who sink
into dementia and mental incapacity who would really
very much prefer to die rather than continue in the
state they are in.
"I think that's something most of
us dread more then we dread any other form of
dying."
Barnoness Warnock said many people
with dementia became unable to swallow - "that's one
of the most horrible conditions to be in".
"If one wants to avoid that, one
should have the entitlement to make it clear what
one wants to do, before that situation is reached."
She rejected the idea that
allowing this would lead to pressure on assisted
suicide for disabled people.
But Rebecca Wood, chief executive
of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, strongly
criticised the peer's comments.
"Lady Warnock demonstrates a
shocking ignorance when espousing her highly
insensitive view that people with dementia are
'wasting people’s lives' and may have a 'duty to
die.
"People with dementia can live
quite comfortably when cared for properly.
"The solution to our dementia
crisis is not euthanasia; the answer is more
research so we can find new treatments, preventions
and a cure.” |
The solution to our dementia
crisis is not euthanasia
