Putting the “Right to Die” in its Place: Disability Rights and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the Context of US End-of-Life Care

Social Model Hospice Home

“…6,[14][15][16][17] Historically, the term social model hospice home has been inconsistently used by those inside and outside of the movement. 7,[9][10][11][12] Currently, there is a greater consensus on the meaning of the term by those advocating for the delivery model through a national membership organization called the Omega Home Network. 18 However, outside this organization, the term is used irregularly to define a range of services, as traditional medical hospice models, regulatory and community agencies, and the health care system in general have variable understanding of the term social model hospice home.…”

“…Using a qualitative approach, this publication highlights the greater opportunity for personal and spiritual growth in dying made possible in the communal setting. As a primary goal to provide dying persons with appropriate care, Braswell 9 furthers the work by introducing the terminology of a social model of terminal illness in which death is defined as natural, rather than as the ultimate loss in the battle against illness. Subsequently, Sunday's 11 book chapter melds these previous writings and outlines the key attributes of the SMHh concept as they exist in Sarah House and its association with kindness during end of life.…”

“…All services are provided free of charge, and the model is supported entirely by community philanthropy. 26 Additional homes such as Francis House in Syracuse, New York (Dearborn, 2016), and Sarah House, in Santa Barbara, California, [9][10][11] existed well before Clarehouse, although they were not connected by an SMHh organizing network until recent years. Growing internet search capability has fostered greater identification and connection between these homes, enabling collaboration to communicate the mission and philosophy of the SMHh movement.…”

“…Efforts to conceptualize this community endeavor have resulted in the term social model hospice home (SMHh). 7,[9][10][11][12] The purpose of this review is to explore the evolution of the concept of the SMHh within the paradigm of EOLc and confirm a formal definition of the concept as an innovative model of health care delivery.…”

From Disability Rights to the Rights of the Dying (and Back Again)

“…But it is also because, even after these two decades, there are still significant disagreements on whether PAS should be considered a legitimate right at all. These disagreements are worthwhile, and I address them elsewhere (Braswell 2018). But, however one resolves them, it is likely to alienate a substantial group of people who, except for PAS, might agree with the framework for conceptualizing the relationship between terminal illness and disability that I develop here.…”