Don't fear the reaper: An alternative relief option for dementia patients and familial caregivers

• Published date: 01 July 2022
• Author: Elizabeth Conklin
• Date: 01 July 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12658

STUDENT NOTES

Don't fear the reaper: An alternative relief option

for dementia patients and familial caregivers

Elizabeth Conklin

1,2

1

Family Court Review, New York, USA

2

Maurice A. Deane School of Law Hofstra

University, Hempstead, NY, USA

Correspondence

Elizabeth Conklin, 45 Pacific Street, North

Babylon, New York, USA.

Email: ellieconklin28@gmail.com

Abstract

The number of Americans diagnosed with a form of dementia

is steadily increasing, yet the research and available treatments

for the disease remain concerningly stagnant. All too often,

the burden of caring for elderly dementia patients falls on the

patients' adult children. As the patients' ability to communicate

diminishes, the child caretakers are forced to guess on appro-

priate end-of-life decisions. This Note proposes an amend-

ment to state statutes for physician-assisted death that would

give dementia patients the opportunity to make plans for a

dignified death. This would alleviate both emotional and finan-

cial burdens on their child caretakers.

KEYWORDS

competency, death with dignity, dementia, elder care, end-of-life

options, healthcare proxy, mental health, physician-assisted

death, senior caregiver

Key points for the family court community

•There are currently 5.8 million Americans diagnosed with

some form of dementia.

•In the last twenty years, deaths from Alzheimer's disease

alone have increased by 146 percent.

•In 2019, the value of unpaid care by child or familial care-

takers of dementia patients was $244 billion.

•Individuals mostly choose a physician-assisted death

because they are worried about losing their autonomy.

•The cost of a nursing home for a dementia patient is one

thousand times higher than the medication used for a

medically aided death.

DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12658

© 2022 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

546 Family Court Rev. 2022;60:546–559.

wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fcre