Elderly woman allegedly euthanized 'against her will' after husband became 'burnout' caring for her
Medical assistance in dying is legal in Canada if strict requirements are met
Warning: This article contains discussion of assisted dying which some readers may find distressing.
An elderly woman who allegedly changed her mind about assisted dying was euthanized 'against her will'.
The woman in her 80s had put in a request to use MAiD services in Canada, which stands for 'Medical Assistance in Dying'.
Assisted dying is legal in Canada if a patient meets the strict requirements needed.
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These include things like making the decision themselves with no external pressure, having a terminal and incurable illness, being in a 'state of irreversible decline', and giving informed consent for the decision.
According to an official report by the Chief Coroner of Ontario’s Medical Assistance in Dying Death Review Committee, the woman, who was referred to as Mrs. B, was suffering from complications after having coronary bypass graft surgery.
Following her 'physical and functional decline', she reportedly asked her family to investigate the possibility of assisted dying.
Her spouse reached out to MAiD and the next day, a practitioner assessed her for MAiD eligibility.
However, she reportedly said that she 'wanted to withdraw her request, citing personal and religious values and beliefs'.
The report added: "She communicated that pursuing in-patient palliative care/hospice care and palliative sedation was more in-keeping with her end-of-life goals."
At the time, her spouse 'was noted to be experiencing caregiver burnout', and a request was put in for hospice care, which was denied.
A second MAiD assessor was then consulted after her spouse's request, who 'objected' to assisted dying.
The report said: "This MAiD practitioner expressed concerns regarding the necessity for 'urgency' and shared belief for the need for more comprehensive evaluation, the seemingly drastic change in perspective of end-of-life goals, and the possibility of coercion or undue influence (i.e., due to caregiver burnout)."
This assessor requested to meet Mrs B the following day, but this request was denied and a third assessor instead went to meet with her.
Mrs B was then euthanized after allegedly having told assessors that she had changed her mind.
Now, members of the Ontario MAiD Death Review Committee have voiced worry that the decision was rushed based on the 'short timeline', with their concerns forming part of a report from the Office of the Chief Coroner.
Their concerns included 'the impact of being denied hospice care, additional care options, caregiver burden, consistency of the MAiD request, and divergent MAiD practitioner perspectives', according to the report.
It added: "Many members brought forward concerns of possible external coercion arising from the caregiver's experience of burnout and lack of access to palliative care in an in-patient or hospice setting."
But the biggest concern appears to have been that her spouse 'was primary in advocating and navigating access to MAiD with limited documentation of the process being self-directed'.
"Moreover, the MAiD assessments were completed with the spouse present," the report noted.
Assisted dying remains a highly controversial topic, with advocates claiming it is a way to provide dignity in death and relieve pain, while opponents worry about the erosion of regulation and safeguards, and people being pressured into ending their lives.
For advice, support, and more information, you can contact Dignity in Dying via their website or email them at [email protected]. For more state resources, you can also contact End of Life Choices Oregon or Patient Choices Vermont.
Additionally, if you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
Kit Roberts