Bioethics Forum EssayWhy New Zealand Should Permit Aid in DyingHaving read with interest Josephine Johnston’s essay on the aid-in-dying case before a court in New Zealand, I’d like to elaborate on some salient points. I have been actively involved with...Read Why New Zealand Should Permit Aid in DyingBioethics Forum EssaySex, Consent, and DementiaA 78-year‐old Iowa man, Henry Rayhons, has been charged with third‐degree felony sexual abuse for having sex with his wife, who had severe Alzheimer’s, in her nursing home on May 23,...Read Sex, Consent, and DementiaBioethics Forum EssayControlling the End Game of DementiaIn her New York Times article of January 20, “Complexities of Choosing an End Game for Dementia”, Paula Span reviewed the use of advance directives to withhold food and water as a way...Read Controlling the End Game of DementiaBioethics Forum EssayHow Brittany Maynard Changed the Conversation about Aid in DyingBrittany Maynard, the courageous 29-year-old woman with terminal brain cancer, ended her life a month ago today. She and her husband had moved to Oregon so that Maynard could take advantage...Read How Brittany Maynard Changed the Conversation about Aid in DyingBioethics Forum EssayMore French ParadoxesDeath is hard to deal with anywhere, but France has some contradictory ways of providing end-of-life care, as two recent articles discuss. On the lighter side, Agence France-Presse reports on...Read More French ParadoxesBioethics Forum EssayAlzheimer’s Disease, Biomarkers, and Suicide: Why We Need to Think About All Three TogetherRecently, I spoke with a seasoned health care reporter who was interested in Alzheimer’s and biomarkers because of his own family’s history of this disease. He started by asking, “Why...Read Alzheimer’s Disease, Biomarkers, and Suicide: Why We Need to Think About All Three TogetherBioethics Forum EssayA Blood Test to Predict Alzheimer’s Disease: What’s the Elephant in the Room?I recently gave a talk about Alzheimer’s disease and asked people to imagine two individuals, Manny and Sue. Manny died at 85; he was showing signs of age but living...Read A Blood Test to Predict Alzheimer’s Disease: What’s the Elephant in the Room?Bioethics Forum EssayGetting from “is” to “ought” Near the End of Life There is a saying in ethics: you can’t get an “ought” from an “is.” Descriptions of the world as it is do not reveal truths about the world as it...Read Getting from “is” to “ought” Near the End of LifeBioethics Forum EssayIs Five Hours Too Short to Say Goodbye? My Dad’s Rapid AutopsyMy sister called: “Get the orange card out of my wallet on the table. We need to call the study people.” In July, we got the news – Dad’s colon...Read Is Five Hours Too Short to Say Goodbye? My Dad’s Rapid AutopsyBioethics Forum EssayWhat if the Patient is Your Mother?The problems with end-of-life care are clear enough. Patients and their families/significant others still have trouble talking with one another and their doctors about how they would and would not...Read What if the Patient is Your Mother?