Escaping the ‘unprepared generation’ trap: discussions about euthanasia after a ‘completed life’ in the Netherlands

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyses discussions in the Netherlands about extending the current euthanasia legislation to include older people who are tired of living and want to end life without being sick or suffering unbearable pain. We look at these discussion from a generational perspective: the present generation of older people has learned from the experiences of the previous generation that life may last longer than they want and it might be challenging to die in a humane way. First, we briefly sketch the processes that led to the present call for euthanasia on the basis of ‘completed life’ and disentangle the meaning of ‘completed life’ in the existing literature. We then present the results of our qualitative research consisting of interviews with nine people who signed a petition in support of ‘completed life’ euthanasia and analyse their arguments and opinions in the context of a historical timeframe and personal biographies. We then elaborate on individual expectations regarding the enactment of ‘completed life’ euthanasia legislation. We analyse the intertwinement of the respondents’ experiences with other people’s end of life struggles and their personal end-of-life expectations from the perspective of being or not being prepared for the trap of living ‘too long’.