Swiss city bringing assisted suicide to nursing homes

Lawmakers in a Swiss city have voted to expand assisted suicide into hospitals and nursing homes, a move critics say further cements the practice into mainstream medicine.

The parliament in the Canton of Lucerne, a city with over 80,000 people, approved the measure in an 81-27 vote this week.

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition executive director Alex Schadenberg blasted the policy change and said it devalues human life.

“Doctors should never be given the right in law to be directly involved with killing their patients,” he said. “This is a dangerous policy that leads to the devaluation of human life and the normalization of suicide.”

The proposal came from Sara Muff, a center-left Social Democratic Party lawmaker. It calls for a legal framework allowing assisted suicide in public health and social care institutions.

Muff argued access should not depend on where a person receives care.

“Self-determination over one’s own life should apply until the end of life and for everyone, regardless of where they are,” she said.

Currently, access varies by facility. Some nursing homes allow assisted suicide while others do not. Supporters said the inconsistency creates unequal treatment.

Centre Party Health Director Michaela Tschuor backed a standardized approach for care facilities but initially opposed extending the policy to hospitals. She stressed the traditional role of medicine, saying hospitals exist for “healing, care and the alleviation of suffering.”

Muff and others argued forcing patients to leave hospitals to end their lives creates what she calls unnecessary burdens.

Meanwhile, center-left Social Democratic Party lawmaker Priska Fleischlin said for some patients, “dying is a relief and a beautiful thing.”

Opposition came from lawmakers who warned against forcing institutions to take part in ending life.

Centrist Centre Party lawmaker Stephan Schärli said hospitals should not be required to offer services conflicting with their mission and values. Centre-right Radical Liberal Party lawmaker Sibylle Boos-Braun warned the policy could put pressure on healthcare workers to violate their conscience.

The shift comes as assisted suicide becomes more common in Switzerland. The country reported a 15% increase in assisted deaths from 2024 to 2025, according to SwisExit.

Critics say expanding the practice into hospitals and nursing homes risks redefining medicine itself. Instead of focusing on preserving life and caring for the vulnerable, institutions may face growing pressure to treat death as a solution for the sick.

For faith-based groups and others who oppose assisted suicide, the concern is not only access but also expectation. If the practice becomes embedded in care settings, opting out may become harder for both patients and providers.