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FAQ taken from www2.gov.bc.ca
Medical assistance in dying provides people, who are experiencing intolerable suffering due to a grievous and irremediable (incurable) medical condition, the option to end their life with the assistance of a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Individuals and their families have many decisions to make when faced with end-of-life care or intolerable suffering. It’s important for British Columbians to know and understand all the health care options available to them.
Medical assistance in dying is provided only to legally eligible persons. To ensure this service is provided in a safe manner, a system of safeguards has been designed to protect vulnerable people and support all people to make an informed decision.
British Columbians seeking medical assistance in dying should speak with their doctor, nurse practitioner or local health authority’s care co-ordination service for medical assistance in dying.
Medical assistance in dying is legal in Canada, as long as the criteria established in the federal legislation are followed.
In February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that it would no longer be a criminal offence in Canada for a physician to help someone end their life in certain circumstances. On June 17, 2016, the federal government passed legislation to amend the Criminal Code and bring medical assistance in dying into practice throughout Canada. On March 17, 2021 the federal government further amended the Criminal Code regarding medical assistance in dying, expanding eligibility to include people whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable.
People looking to access medical assistance in dying should bring their wishes or questions to the attention of their doctor or nurse practitioner, who can discuss the options available to them or assist them to find someone who can help.
Every B.C. health authority has a designated person to help connect people requesting information on medical assistance in dying with a doctor or nurse practitioner who can provide guidance.
Visit the health authority links below for information and contacts:
Fraser Health
Interior Health
Island Health
Northern Health
Provincial Health Services Authority
Vancouver Coastal Health
For people living in a First Nations community or care providers working in First Nations communities, please email the First Nations Health Authority (maid@fnha.ca) if you have any questions or require further assistance in coordination.
People can expect requests for medical assistance in dying to be received in a compassionate and respectful manner. Before anyone is able to receive medical assistance in dying, they must be assessed by two independent doctors or nurse practitioners to see if they are eligible for this service; a consultation with a third doctor or nurse practitioner that has expertise in the condition causing the person’s suffering may also be required. This process also ensures the individual is aware of all of the care options available to them and has the information required to make an informed decision
In order to be eligible to receive medical assistance in dying, a person must meet all of the following criteria:
* Note: For the purposes of eligibility for medical assistance in dying, a mental illness is not considered to be an “illness, disease, or disability” under the current legislation. This restriction is currently under review.
Every case is slightly different however it can take as little as six weeks
Doctors and nurse practitioners are able to provide medical assistance in dying as long as they comply with the rules set out in the Criminal Code, and all applicable provincial and territorial laws, rules and policies. For example, B.C. physicians must follow the standards of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, and nurse practitioners must follow the standards of the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives.
Other health-care providers, such as registered nurses and pharmacists, as well as family members or loved ones requested by the person, may help in providing medical assistance in dying, so long as they also comply as stated above and are not in a position to benefit from the person’s death.
For a variety of reasons, not all doctors or nurse practitioners will provide medical assistance in dying and no one will be forced to do so. For some, providing medical assistance in dying may conflict with their personal beliefs.
Even if a doctor or nurse practitioner does not provide medical assistance in dying as a matter of conscience, a person can still expect to be treated with respect and be provided with information on how to access this service. This means health-care providers must not discriminate against people who make this request and must provide an effective transfer of care if they choose not to offer that care themselves.
People requesting medical assistance in dying can change their mind and withdraw their request at any time and in any manner.
For people requesting medical assistance in dying, whose death is not reasonably foreseeable, a mandatory reflection period of at least 90 clear days must pass between the date of first assessment by a doctor or nurse practitioner (day 0) and the day medical assistance in dying is provided (day 91 or later), unless the person’s assessing doctors and/or nurse practitioners are both of the opinion that the person's loss of capacity is imminent and agree to shorten the reflection period.
Immediately before the doctor or nurse practitioner provides medical assistance in dying – whether in the form of administering or providing the person with prescribed drugs for self-administration – they must confirm with the person that they are still sure that this is what they want and the person must provide consent to proceed (unless the person has entered into a written agreement in advance – see “Safeguards – Natural Death Is Reasonably Foreseeable” above).
There is a provincial form called the Request for Medical Assistance in Dying that must be filled out by the person requesting medical assistance in dying. The requestor must sign and date page 1 of this form in front of an independent witnesses, who must also sign and date the form on page 2. The Request for Medical Assistance in Dying fulfills the requirement in the federal legislation that a person must submit a written request for medical assistance in dying.
The requestor can submit their Request for Medical Assistance in Dying directly to their doctor or nurse practitioner, or they can contact a health authority’s care coordination service for medical assistance in dying (see health authority links above and contact information located under the Request for Medical Assistance in Dying on the Forms page
The death doula provides support to family members and individuals who are nearing the end of their life. It’s difficult to be prepared for loss and the emotions that follow.
Death doulas arrive in times of need to offer end-of-life care to individuals and their families. Death doulas are involved in the before, during, and after phases of loss.
Doulas are an end-of-life coach that guides individuals and families to prepare for death in a holistic way. Death doulas work to provide emotional support, spiritual support, and physical support leading to a remarkable loved one’s passing.
How Death Doulas Help
Death doulas are also called death midwives, soul midwives, or end-of-life doulas. They assist throughout the dying process through the holistic support of family members after loss.
They also help individuals execute their final wishes before passing. Doulas play a key role in the end-of-life process.
Doula services include physical, spiritual, and emotional help to patients and families.
Death doulas provide physical help by assisting with funeral planning and ensuring that affairs are in order. They may also help prepare an individual’s body for burial or for a viewing.
Doulas provide emotional support to families and individuals nearing their final moments. They help families process the complex emotions they experience before and after loss, and they spend time talking to patients about their fears surrounding death. These helpers provide comfort and a safe space for loved ones to voice their uncertainties related to death.
Doulas help patients to create end-of-life plans that can serve as a type of spiritual support. These end-of-life plans help individuals contemplate their beliefs about death and ponder the final affairs they want to settle before their souls can be at rest.
Ever since organizations such as the International End of Life Doula Association started offering a training program for doulas, the number of death doulas across the country has grown. It is becoming increasingly popular for families to hire an end-of-life doula to assist in medical support and holistic wellness.
Doulas are typically hired by a family when they or a loved one know that they are nearing the end of life. The doula’s role before death is incredibly vital. They work to guide an individual through life’s final transition.
A death doula’s role is to provide non-medical support. They are not a replacement for a local hospice or for a caregiver. However, doulas play a significant role in the time before a person passes.
First, death doulas help patients to reflect on their life. The emotions surrounding death can be overwhelming, and doulas help individuals to understand their place in the world, see the impact they’ve made, and remember the valuable experiences they gained throughout their life.
Doulas also help patients and their families to engage in comforting and healing experiences together. Impending loss is never easy for families to talk about with each other. Death doulas help to guide families in honest and open conversation about loss and grief, helping families and their dying loved ones to have a sense of closure.
These conversations help to prepare families for the painful emotions associated with loss and the grieving process.
Death doulas also help individuals who are nearing the end of their life to make final arrangements. Doulas may help individuals to write their will if they do not have one already. Doulas may also encourage their patients to create meaningful keepsakes for family members such as video messages or handwritten notes.
Death doulas also help patients to create an end-of-life plan. This typically refers to the ways in which a patient will prepare for death. Doulas help patients to process their thoughts and beliefs about death and the afterlife.
Doulas may also provide support by talking through unresolved disagreements or relationship hurts the patient may still be carrying. Doulas often will guide their patients in forgiving those who may have hurt or wronged them so they can be at peace.
Death doulas also help execute our dying loved one’s last wishes. They will discuss the type of memorial service they would like and that best represents their life. Doulas will play a large role in memorial service planning after an individual passes.
Doulas also provide companionship for individuals nearing the end of their life. They offer a listening ear and a safe space for patients to process their emotions as well as any fears they have. They provide emotional support for those processing the reality of death.
The role of a doula after loss shifts from a primary focus on the patient to a focus on the mental, emotional, and physical needs of the family members. Death doulas will often stay to help family members navigate the emotions associated with loss. Sometimes this can include things like creating a legacy project to remember a loved one.
Doulas will also provide assistance with funeral planning so that families can be fully present during the grieving process. Doulas may help family members to dress their loved one’s body for viewing or prepare their loved one for burial. Doulas may also help in planning and sorting out the logistics of the memorial or funeral service.
Doulas will typically also help family members to ensure their loved one’s affairs are in order. This may include closing accounts or settling estates. Doulas help to lighten the load that families shoulder after losing a loved one so they can focus on their healing journey.
Not only do doulas help throughout the dying process, but they are also a part of the grieving process. Death doulas help offer paths of healing to families by including them in their loved one’s final wishes.
Talking about death can often feel difficult or uncomfortable for families. Doulas help foster an environment where these emotions can be discussed and processed together. Since doulas encourage open communication about death, families often feel that they are able to gain a sense of closure after loss.
Death doulas also advocate for individuals before and after their passing. They provide families with the peace of mind in knowing that their loved one’s wishes were honored and their loved one has a memorial or funeral that aligns with their hopes and desires.
Doulas may stay with family members for as long as six weeks after a loved one passes, providing continuous emotional support as needed.
Doulas also offer companionship in a loved one’s final moments before death. This is an important part of a death doula’s role because family members who live far away may be unable to make it in time before their loved one’s passing. Death doulas make sure that their patients are not alone when they pass.
Death doulas also are there to make sure their patient is comfortable at all times. This could mean anything from massaging a patient who is in pain to adjust their position so they sit or lie down more comfortably.
Info provided from enterneva.com
please clink the link to the government website for more info
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