Come on in PK:

If it wasn't a NOVA episode, it was a new PBS science program recently wherein it was said that below the human geonome(did I spell that right, not sure) there is the epi-something or other(someone else can better fill-in).

The significance of this is that they have discovered that these epi's below the geonome are little switches that through therapies that are currently being developed, they have shown that even terminal lung cancer can be brought to a halt, and completely reversed.

I mention this in light of your Alzheimers admission. Look into it. It should be in the recent programming area of the PBS science schedule.

Between us, I've told my wife for years, that should Alzheimers befall me(one direct relative went the dementia route), and I should wander off(say into the woods and fields of our area), that she should let me go. In my opinion, that would be most merciful to all concerned, because as you correctly observe, "... I see no reason to continue maintaining the physical shell that used to contain my self."

Too, you make a persuasive argument in your conclusion. The legal part, is a problem for the benevolent helper, which I'm guessing explains the law given the non-benevolent helpers that would be sure to play that angle, lol(we're something else aren't we?).

The funny thing is there are all sorts of international and national calls for drastically lowering the worlds population, and yet suicide is illegal.

Still, I would hate to see this practice become a societal expectation of good citizenship, meaning institutionalized.

peaceably

ps I'd bet, in response to Big@l's point, that even were suicide or assisted suicide made legal(anyone from Oregon have some local insight?), that insurance companies would not be willing to pay.