Futuristic departure lounge might be just what the doctor ordered

For fans of the movie "Soylent Green" that features a futuristic world that's hot and crowded, the departure lounge Edward G. Robinson visits to end it all could be a good idea if society would just admit that committing suicide isn't the taboo it's been made out to be over time.

Actor Edward G. Robinson
plays Levi in Soylent Green

"Death has always been scary," Ronni Bennett writes on "Time Goes By," her popular outlet for thoughts on aging that has a world-wide following. "For centuries, humans have tried to mitigate that fear with ghost stories, with goblins and skeleton costumes on Halloween and the popularity of vampires in books and film, all of which have in common the possibility of some form of continued consciousness of self after death."

Bennett, who just turned 75 and lives in Oregon even though she left her heart in her beloved New York City after years of working there in the media industry, notes that the taboo against death talk has begun to loosen. She says it's connected, in part, "with the realization that for the foreseeable future there are going to be a whole lot more old people, in relation to the entire population, than has ever been seen on earth."

That means growing numbers who are concerned with and want to know more about how to control their deaths, Bennett said in a recent post that includes some help from one of her friends. Not too long ago, I sent her my view on the inevitable:

"Maybe a smart, fashionable, modern-day departure lounge equipped with all the amenities, including lawyers and accountants to put one's affairs in final order before takeoff, would be the right recipe for anyone who might want to walk into one one day and feel comfortable saying adios. 

"The first one could be located in the middle of a western state desert, so it wouldn't be convenient to get to for anyone who wasn't determined to get there. Of course, if lines start forming, other locations could be considered."

I also sent a YouTube clip to her from the 1973 science fiction movie Soylent Green that features a scene where Levi, played by Edward G Robinsin, who died shortly after he filmed the scene, enjoys a tranquil, comfortable exit. I have watched it many times, and now think it's not gruesome at all but actually something that just might work if given a chance.

The movie became notorious for its shocking end plot twist. You can read about it at Wikipedia if you want. I sent the clip to her, and she included it in a post on the subject of a "good death." 

"John and I had been emailing about death with dignity laws when he included a link to this Soylent Green clip titled, “Levi Goes Home,” in which Edward G. Robinson (in his last film role) goes, as John explained in his email, “to the futuristic service center that caters to people ready to say goodbye.”

Bennett reveals the emergence of Death cafes, which now commonly attract people to neighborly discussions of dying without too much flinching from anyone, she writes. "My favorite mortician, Caitlin Doughty, not only keeps a popular blog titled The Order of the Good Death which demystifies all deathly things, her Ask A Mortician videos on YouTube are as much a hoot as informative," Bennett informs us..

A student of all things aging and age related, Ms. Bennett said it came to mind a few days ago when The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in its April issue released a study titled Defining a Good Death (Successful Dying). She reports on the study, a review of 36 previous studies that includes patients, family members and healthcare provider stakeholders.  

Eleven core themes of good death were identified by the researchers: • preferences for a specific dying process, • pain-free status, • religiosity/spirituality, • emotional well-being, • life completion, • treatment preferences, • dignity, • family, • quality of life, • relationship with the health care provider, • other

Bennett tells us that one kind of control is physician-assisted suicide. Four states currently allow what is also called “death with dignity” under very strict rules and California, later this year, is likely to join Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana with such a law, she says.

"Many people oppose this kind of legal suicide as a slippery slope that can lead to pressure on people, the old in particular, I suppose, to hurry along their journey to whatever comes next," she notes.

Bennett says she welcomes death with dignity laws and thinks the rules are too strict. "But the idea that anyone would suggest that a person end his/her life to save the government some money is disgusting and dangerous," she says in rebuttal to a reader who reported on some thinking that was a good reason to end it all for the wrong reason. 

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