Life and death

In this season of ghosts — the traditional kind, not the scarier sorts in flood control — my thoughts are on death, and life.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

Specifically, the quality of life.

Thanks to advances in health care, more people are living longer. Sadly for many, the quality of that longer life leaves much to be desired.

Perhaps because of the ease of posting personal information, we're hearing more stories about people coping with loved ones who are suffering from dementia and other degenerative diseases.

The latest story came from Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who posted photos of his wheelchair-bound mother together with his narration of her dementia.

From personal experience, I can sympathize with the senator, and attest to the agony of watching a loved one slowly disappearing inside a deteriorating body, losing large chunks of memories and motor abilities needed for day-to-day existence.

I know folks of my generation terrified of the prospect of developing dementia and being at the complete mercy of other people. Some of them are checking out the countries that allow euthanasia. At the first possible symptom of dementia, they intend to get a definitive medical diagnosis. If positive, they will plan their date with assisted death.

Obviously, these are folks with the means to pay for assisted dying overseas. They would argue for the right to die in their own country, but they know enough to see that such an idea will never fly in the Philippines, the only state apart from the Vatican without divorce.

For the many others without the means for euthanasia overseas, the only option is to live with whatever fate hands them in their twilight years.

And the option can be awful, without sufficient human support and resources.