This letter to the editor was sent to EloraFergusToday.com by Helen Long, CEO of Dying With Dignity Canada in response to an article on Township Council backing plans for a rural hospice offering medical assistance in dying.
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We applaud the Centre Wellington council for their recent decision to support a six-bed hospice in the township that will provide comfort care at end of life on site, including palliative care and medical assistance in dying (MAID). MAID is a legal end-of-life option for eligible people across Canada; allowing MAID on site ensures a patient does not have to leave their community of care through a forced transfer during an already difficult time. MAID is a choice made by an individual, there are robust criteria and safeguards in place to rule out coercion, including that the person must be approved by two independent assessors; there is no slippery slope. Through consultation with various community members, the council established that people support a hospice in the region that permits both palliative care and assisted dying, giving patients choice and autonomy at their end-of-life.
Helen Long, CEO
Dying With Dignity Canada