Portrait

Often a socially taboo subject in past decades, death has recently become a topic of increasing public interest and debate. Today, many people and institutions must deal with issues such as living wills, access to palliative care, assisted suicide, caring for dying family members, and treatment decisions at the end of life. Discussion on these topics is guided by differing ideas and ideals regarding the definition of “good dying”.

Since 2012, the NRP 67 has collected knowledge useful to guiding decisions and practices for the final phase of life, such as dealing with living wills, palliative care, assisted suicide, caring for dying relatives and treatment decisions at the end of life. The programme has identified care deficiencies, provides decision-making aids, both for the people affected and for care providers, and has examined the ethical implications. The NRP 67 had a budget of CHF 15 million at its disposal.