Euthanasia and old age: The case of Hong Kong

Abstract

In Hong Kong, people live longer but they also suffer from greater physical health impairment in old age, so the attitudes of the elderly toward euthanasia will be important in an aging society like Hong Kong. This article reports the findings of two studies. One was a general household survey to study Hong Kong people's attitudes toward euthanasia. It was found that age was a predictor of the attitudes toward active euthanasia: the higher the age, the more support there would be. A follow-up qualitative study was carried out to further examine the older persons' reasons for or against euthanasia. From two focus group meetings with members of two integrated centers for the elderly in Hong Kong, it was found that a great majority of the participants favored euthanasia. Fear of being a burden to family members, fear of pain and suffering, as well as the feeling of uselessness in old age were the major themes behind the support for euthanasia.