A citizens’ convention must decide this Sunday on the legalization or not of euthanasia. For some time now, this delicate subject has been the subject of training throughout France, intended to help people better support a loved one at the end of life. Europe 1 attended one of them in Paris.
Will Emmanuel Macron decide to legalize euthanasia or assisted suicide? This Sunday, a “citizen convention”, bringing together nearly 200 French people drawn by lot, will decide on this question with the idea of guiding the action of the State. Other actors have already expressed themselves, such as the French support and palliative care society for which it would be necessary not to change the law, but to improve the care and communicate on the existence of this care in France.
To answer questions, training is organized throughout the country, such as “first aid” to help those who wish to better support a loved one at the end of life, where with the age of advanced parents, some wish to prepare to the inevitable. This free training, supported by the French palliative care society and imported from abroad, is provided in around twenty countries. Europe 1 was able to attend one of them in Paris.
Practical questions
Pad of paper and pencil in hand, the 20 participants write down the valuable advice of Catherine Renard, the founder of the training. “What happens when the person dies? There are things to put in place: call a doctor to certify the death, it’s mandatory,” she explains first.
In this training, the majority of people enrolled have a loved one at the end of life. That’s why the questions are practical. “Does the patient’s consent be required or can the doctor alone decide to put the person to sleep before they die?” asks one participant. For Natasha, who is also following this training, this information is necessary because she wants to prepare for her mother’s departure. “Some days, she is really dying. I would like to accompany her properly until the end: what are the words to say, the appropriate words?” Lists Natasha.
After five hours of training, Agnès now knows how to react to the distress of her parents, who are now at the end of their life. “One thing I have to change, for example, is to listen more rather than trying to necessarily reassure the person. You just have to listen to them, and once they have spoken, they are already better. “, supports Agnès, who leaves with the right gestures for better support, as well as the right contacts in case of questions.
Source: Europe1
I’m a journalist who covers health care news. I’ve been working in the news industry for more than 6 years. I have experience writing for print, online, and television. My work has been published by various news websites and magazines.
