Choices we'd Rather Not Have
First there was Sophie's Choice - "keep your son or
your daughter."
Now Dick Turpin's Choice seems to be
approaching. You can pay with your life if you don't want to
hand over your money, or struggle with your local social services
for social care.
In 1999 the Royal Commission "With Respect to Old Age: Long Term Care - Rights
and Responsibilities" studied the question of social
care as distinct from nursing care for old people who needed
it. The majority report recommended that the Government should
continue to fund it. However Lord Joffe and Mr David Lipsey (now
Lord Lipsey) thought otherwise and their minority report was
acted on by the Government.
Lord Joffe will introduce his "Assisted
Dying" Bill again in the House of Lords early in 2006.
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