Rights and guarantees for a dignified death at the end of life

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would recognize rights for people in the final process of life, understood as a terminal or agony situation caused by illness or accident, and would set duties for health professionals and guarantees for institutions.
2. It would guarantee the right to clear information about one's health and to decide on treatments, including the right to refuse them even if this endangers life, without any reduction in care.
3. It would allow any adult to leave prior instructions (living will) about the care they wish to receive, appoint a representative, and change or revoke them at any time.
4. It would recognize the right to quality palliative care, including palliative sedation even if it shortens life, the right to receive it at home if desired, the company of relatives, and spiritual assistance.
5. Professionals would have to respect the patient's wishes and adjust therapeutic effort to avoid therapeutic obstinacy. Hospitals would have to guarantee single rooms, with one year to provide them.
6. The law would be basic legislation for the whole country, with penalties referred to regional rules or, failing that, the General Health Act, and the Government would be empowered to issue its implementing regulations.

Who it affects

• People in a terminal or agony situation: They would gain new rights to decide, receive palliative care, and be accompanied.
• Families and caregivers: They could accompany the patient and receive support and bereavement care.
• Health professionals: They would have a duty to respect the patient's wishes and adjust therapeutic effort.
• Public and private health and social centers: They would have to guarantee these rights, including single rooms.
• Minors: They would have the right to age-appropriate information and to be accompanied by their parents.

Words worth knowing

Instrucciones previas (living will)

A document in which an adult states in advance their wishes about care and treatments for when they can no longer express them.

Cuidados paliativos (palliative care)

Care aimed at controlling pain and other symptoms when the illness no longer responds to curative treatment.

Sedación paliativa (palliative sedation)

Giving drugs to reduce the patient's consciousness to relieve symptoms that do not respond to treatment.

Obstinación terapéutica (therapeutic obstinacy)

Keeping useless treatments that only prolong biological life with no chance of improvement.

Adecuación del esfuerzo terapéutico (adjustment of therapeutic effort)

Withdrawing, adjusting, or not starting treatments when a limited life prognosis makes it advisable.

It summarizes the text passed by the committee. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries