[ HAWAII-AT-WORK ]
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Roland Halpern, executive director of Compassion in Dying, is comfortable with controversy.
The right to death
with dignity is his
life’s workIf you asked me what business I'm in, I'd pause, and with good reason. I've worked in several occupations that had clearly defined job descriptions in which one's performance was based on clearly defined goals.
But working with dying people interested in hastening their death as one of many end-of-life options frequently takes me into uncharted waters.
"It's not in my job description" is the rule rather than the exception.
Roland Halpern
Title: Executive directorOrganization: Compassion in Dying
Years in the job: Two
Goal: "To help Hawaii follow the visionary path of Oregon by enacting a law that ensures individual choice at the end of life."
As executive director of Compassion in Dying, I act as educator, advocate, counselor and consoler. I share the view of 75 percent of the general public who believe that someone suffering from a terminal illness, in which one's life expectancy is six months or less, should have the individual right to request a physician's assistance in hastening death when all other reasonable efforts to end suffering have failed.
It is a controversial and emotionally charged issue. Many confuse it with euthanasia, where someone other than the patient administers a life-ending medication. So, I spend much of my time dispelling myths and building community support among those who want to speak out for the terminally ill, who have no political voice.
Reactions to my educational presentations to the public, health care professionals and legislators span the spectrum from total opposition to overwhelming support, but no one is ever apathetic on the issue. And I often find that unless someone has actually gone through the experience of watching a loved one suffer, they cannot fully understand death with dignity.
During the legislative session, I track bills and advocate for Hawaii's Death with Dignity Bill, which has extensive safeguards aimed at preventing abuse. The proposed law is modeled after Oregon's law, which has worked exceptionally since it began six years ago.
In addition, I help patients and families overcome fear, hopelessness and the feeling of abandonment many experience toward their physicians. I provide support, counseling and resources at a time in their lives where compassion and understanding are critical.
I also instruct groups of all ages about the value of advance directives, critical documents for patients who want their medical decisions honored when they are no longer able to communicate for themselves.
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