Palliative Care for a Cancer Patient Research Paper 2022

Running head: PALLIATIVE CARE FOR A CANCER PATIENT
PALLIATIVE CARE FOR A CANCER PATIENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

PALLIATIVE CARE FOR A CANCER PATIENT1
Abstract
The paper describes a case study of a divorced mother diagnosed with bowel cancer. She is
going through different self –care methods such as palliative care and advanced care because
of her duty and responsibilities towards her children. The paper mainly concentrates on the
fact that whether she has the right to decide the time and place of her death or not. The issue
is supported with the view of Australian legal policy and medical policy. The aim of the
paper is to justify the cause whether she can access to the option of choosing the time and
place of her death according to her wish or not keeping her physical condition in mind.
Keywords: single mother, cancer, palliative care, advanced care, legal rights

PALLIATIVE CARE FOR A CANCER PATIENT2
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Case Study of Melissa............................................................................................................3
Palliative care.........................................................................................................................4
Right to determine the Time of Death....................................................................................5
Deciding the Place of Death...................................................................................................6
Advance Care.........................................................................................................................6
Impact of Victorian legislation on Melissa’s decision...........................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
Reference..................................................................................................................................10

PALLIATIVE CARE FOR A CANCER PATIENT3
Introduction
The paper is going to focus on a case study of a woman who is diagnosed with the
ailment of bowel cancer and is looking forward to an advance care consultancy for her two
children. The report usually deals with the dichotomy that Melissa is stuck in because of her
terminal disease and the responsibility of her towards her children and how she can possibly
come out of this situation. The report is to find out whether she has the legal right to decide
the time and place of her own death and whether it is ethically justifiable or not. It is also
dealing with Australia’s legal policy. The report specifically focuses on Australian legal
rights regarding euthanasia and how it justifies Melissa’s case.
The paper initially explains the critical case of Melissa where she has to go through
the unendurable condition of last stage of cancer. Then the report moves on to justify her
wish to decide the time and place of her death according to legal policy of Australia. The
report delves into scrutinizing the moral responsibility of Melissa towards her children and
parents. It also shows how she can diminish the problems of her mental agony with palliative
care, the accountability to her children with advanced care and mainly her right to determine
the place and time of her death respectively is located and addressed.
Discussion
Case Study of Melissa
Melissa, a divorced woman of 37 with two children of tender age is surviving through
the last stage of bowel cancer. She has gone through a surgery and has been diagnosed almost
a year ago. Now when she is affected by liver metastases and is quite certain about the fact