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Our Client Support Program

Dying with Dignity provides confidential non-medical information and support to individuals facing a life-limiting or life-threatening illness and to their loved ones.

We respect the right of individuals to be informed about their end-of-life options, to maintain control and make choices prior to and during their illness and dying process.

We also recognize that some individuals may express an interest in hastening their own death in spite of aggressive and supportive interventions.

Our Client Support Program is an integrated, client-centred model. This means that depending upon your needs and wishes; we work alongside other service providers as part of a larger network which may include hospice or palliative care teams, family members, friends, volunteers, and health care professionals.

In all that we do, we strive to:

• provide information and emotional support to the client who is making end-of-life decisions;
• increase the client's understanding of all available end-of-life options, including the legal option to hasten their death;
• facilitate discussion of end-of-life options with family members, health care professionals and other caregivers, as directed by the client;
• offer information that is respectful of the client's values, wishes and beliefs.

If you are experiencing a life-limiting or life-threatening illness It is important to know you have choices which may include the following:

• stay in your own home or move to a facility;
• consider hospice/palliative care where you live;
• stop life sustaining treatments - you have the right to refuse or discontinue treatments such as feeding tubes, medications (including antibiotics), breathing machines, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, or kidney dialysis;
• you have the right to comfort care to manage your pain and other symptoms;
• consider palliative sedation (sedation to unconsciousness), when your pain cannot be controlled;
• voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED), a peaceful process that permits dying to proceed naturally.

Here’s the kind of support we can offer you:

• information on advance care planning including an Advance Care Directive (Living Will) and Power of Attorney for Personal Care;
• assistance in advocating for your needs with health care professionals and institutions including helping you or your family to advocate for pain and symptom control
• emotional support as you explore your fears and wishes for your own dying;
• support in discussing your terminal illness or end-of-life concerns with loved ones or your doctor;
• objective, ongoing support from diagnosis through bereavement support
• information and referral to appropriate community services
• resource materials from our extensive library
• understanding and compassion

To request information or support, please call us at 416.486.3998, extension 23 or toll-free at 1.800.495.6156, extension 23 or email us at: clientsupport@dyingwithdignity.ca