Assisted dying in Switzerland On February 9, 2022, the Dying With Dignity Canada team was joined by Dr. Erika Preisig to learn about assisted dying in Switzerland. * Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) is grateful to have the participation of several diverse speakers and presenters in our webinar series. Please note that the nuanced views...
Over the past twenty years, assisted dying legislative practices have expanded around the world. Jenna Carter, the granddaughter of Kay Carter, gave a presentation exploring global trends and shifting public perceptions surrounding the practice.
Assisted dying, physician-assisted death, medical assistance in dying. These are some of the terms our spokespeople use when they give a presentation or interview about Canadians’ right to die with the help of a doctor. Absent from the list is a familiar phrase that’s overstayed its welcome in the North...
In this webinar, DWDC was joined by nurse practitioners Valerie Cooper and Elizabeth Leonardis, who shared their insights, experiences and perspectives related to end-of-life care. Tip: We've uploaded timestamps so you can jump straight to the questions and answers that interest you most. Just select "Watch on YouTube" above, and read...
FAQ Answering your frequently asked questions. FAQ Medical assistance in dying (MAID) FAQ Donations FAQ Volunteering Didn't find the answer you'relooking for? Contact us
Setting out some clear facts surrounding MAID, the strict criteria and safeguards that govern its use, and aspects of its proposed expansion.
In this recorded webinar, Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) hosted an in-depth discussion on end-of-life options for Canadians living with dementia. Topics included: Access to medical assistance in dying for Canadians living with dementiaThe changes proposed in Bill C-7 that will impact accessDying With Dignity Canada’s advocacy efforts in relation...
As of March 17, 2021, when Bill C-7 received Royal Assent, the law no longer requires a person’s natural death to be reasonably foreseeable to access medical assistance in dying (MAID).
The objective of this blog post is to clarify the specific term we use regarding assisted dying here in Canada. Language matters, and by learning the correct terms to use when discussing health care and end-of-life choice, we can be clear about our wishes, and avoid misunderstandings or offending anyone....
On January 18, Nurse Practitioner Valerie Cooper asked participants a series of questions about palliative care, sparking discussion and improving understanding. For viewing subtitles in French: Click on the video to play, or open in YouTube in a separate window. At the bottom right of the screen is a block...
On November 4, the Dying With Dignity Canada team was joined by Sandra Martin, award-winning journalist and a contributing writer for The Globe and Mail, to learn about death and writing. Speaker: Sandra Martin, an award-winning journalist and a contributing writer for The Globe and Mail, is the author of the...
In 2017, Calgary’s Carol Abbott-Wolfson watched her husband, Gerald, and her Aunt Marion suffer horrific deaths. Neither were able to exercise their right to an assisted death because of the law’s requirement that a person be competent at the time of the procedure. If the law allowed advance requests for...
Our history Defending access to quality end-of-life choice and care for over 40 years. For over 40 years, Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) has been defending access to quality end-of-life choice and care. The road to choice has been long and winding – full of challenges and setbacks, progress and...
On January 20, Dr. BJ Miller sat down with the team at Dying With Dignity Canada to discuss palliative care. For viewing subtitles in French: Click on the video to play, or open in YouTube in a separate window.At the bottom right of the screen is a block with CC...
With the legalization of medical assistance in dying in June 2016, Canadians were granted another option at end of life — but confusion over interpreting the law and understanding the process can lead to unnecessary obstacles for people and their loved ones. The following information can help you navigate a request for medical assistance in dying.
On Thursday, December 16, 2021, CEO Helen Long presented a year in review – the last webinar of the year! During this webinar, audience members learned about: Dying With Dignity Canada’s accomplishments in 2021 The challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in 2022 Tip: We've uploaded timestamps so you can jump...
These are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Dying with Dignity Canada. A sample of 3,502 Canadians aged 18 years and over was interviewed on the Ipsos I-Say Panel from January 21 - 27, 2020.
Clinicians and navigators from Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia joined us to discuss various topics surrounding death and dying in Eastern Canada. Some focal points included: General attitudes towards death and dyingPalliative care resources and supportsInformation about medical assistance in dying (MAID). Tip: We've uploaded timestamps so...
In this recorded webinar, Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) heard from three clinicians about the experience of providing health and end-of-life care during COVID-19. Watch to learn about what has changed in the nine months since the start of the pandemic, and what it has been like to provide medical...
Past priorities Previous organizational priorities and their outcomes. We have come a long way in the defense of end-of-life rights in Canada. While we continue to advocate for those unable to access their constitutional rights, we cannot forget about what we have accomplished. Current priorities Dying With Dignity Canada advocates...
In this recorded webinar, Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) sat down with Susan Desjardins, Board Member, and one of the founding members of the DWDC Ottawa Chapter, for a one-hour webinar on Advance Care Planning. In this recording, you will learn how to: Consider your values, beliefs, and preferences for future health care Decide who you would...
Assisted dying in the United States On January 27, the Dying With Dignity Canada team was joined by Professor Thaddeus Mason Pope to learn about assisted dying in the United States. For viewing subtitles in French: Click on the video to play, or open in YouTube in a separate window.At...
One in five Canadians has experience caring for someone living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Further, the prevalence of dementia more than doubles every five years for Canadians age 65 and older, from less than one per cent for those age 65 to 69 to about 25 per cent for those...
Audrey Parker, the Halifax woman who spent the last weeks of her life raising awareness about the challenges facing Canadians who have been assessed and approved for assisted dying, “changed the national conversation” around end-of-life choice, Dying With Dignity Canada says. Parker, 57, died with medical assistance on Thursday, two...
In this blog post, Dr. David Amies takes a look at the groups of Canadians who are harmed by the late-stage consent requirement in Canada's assisted dying law. The story of Halifax’s Audrey Parker is back in the news again, following the launch of a Dying With Dignity Canada campaign in...
In this moving testimonial, British Columbia’s Marion Janssen recounts the end-of-life experiences of her grandparents and parents. After watching three loved ones — her mother, father, and grandmother — suffer with dementia, Marion knows she does not want the same ending for herself. That’s why, she writes, she believes advance...
On January 13, 2022, the Dying With Dignity Canada team sat down with Jocelyn Downie for a breakdown of 10 things to know about MAID in Canada. Resources For viewing subtitles in French: Click on the video to play, or open in YouTube in a separate window. At the bottom...
Priscilla Cole had one last lesson to teach before she died. A lifelong educator, she had devoted her career to instilling others with knowledge and the confidence to put it to good use. Among her pupils were the youngsters she taught at a private girls’ school in Toronto, the students...
In his latest post for the DWDC blog, Dr. David Amies examines the Council of Canadian Academies’ report on the possible implications of extending assisted dying access to mature minors. In this piece, he asks a difficult but necessary question: is it fair to allow an 80-year-old with terminal cancer...
As part of a new campaign honouring Halifax’s Audrey Parker, Dying With Dignity Canada is calling on federal lawmakers to make an urgently needed fix to Canada’s assisted dying rules.
In this powerfully written blog post, Justine from Ontario shares how her daily chronic pain has stripped her of any quality of life. Suffering with pain that feels like “literal torture,” Justine has applied for a medically assisted death, but was formally denied because she does not meet one requirement...
Canadians continue to be supportive of MAID, and also towards changes to existing legislation to give Canadians control over how they approach end-of-life issues and decisions.
Dr. Benjamin Schiff, MD and Assistant Professor, and Dr. Georges L’Espérance, FRCS(c), M. Sc. (Adm. Serv. Santé), Neurosurgeon, joined us to discuss various topics surrounding death and dying in Quebec. Some focal points included: General attitudes towards death and dying in QuebecCommon misconceptions about medical assistance in dying (MAID)Information and local resources to...
All Paul Couvrette wanted was more time. He had finally met and married the love of his life, and they had retired to their dream home by the sea on Prince Edward Island. But Paul's lifelong retirement dream was cut tragically short when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer not long after...
On November 2, the Dying With Dignity Canada team was joined by Chelsea Peddle to learn about reframing the idea of legacy. In this recording, Chelsea shares some traditional ideas, including her mother's book, and talks about creating a living legacy through values and relationships. Resources: Willow end-of-life education and...
In his penultimate post for the DWDC blog, Dr. David Amies examines the Council of Canadian Academies’ report on the possible implications of extending assisted dying access to individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is psychiatric in nature. It is safe to say there has been some discussion about the...
An appeal court decision to uphold the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s (CPSO) policy on effective referral for assisted dying is a victory for patients’ rights in the province, Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) says. On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal for Ontario announced its ruling in a constitutional...
On March 9, 2023, Bill C-39 received Royal Assent – extending the sunset clause on MAID and mental disorders until March 17, 2024.
In this post for the Dying With Dignity Canada blog, Jana Buhlmann, who supported her husband on his assisted dying journey last year, writes a thoughtful reflection on hospices that refuse to offer medical assistance in dying (MAID). She also contemplates how she and others might use their voices to effect...
In his latest post for Dying With Dignity Canada’s blog, Dr. David Amies responds to an offensive, incendiary column written by National Post columnist Barbara Kay, in which she insults supporters of assisted dying and the thoughtful, compassionate clinicians who provide it. He also reiterates an important point that is...
Bill C-7 reached Royal Assent on March 17, 2021. The introduction of this new legislation included changes to eligibility for those accessing medical assistance in dying (MAID) and altered procedural safeguards. This free, online event, Bill C-7: Six months later, reflects on the impact of Bill C-7 on Canadians seeking...
The option of a medically assisted death can be a source of hope and relief for Canadians who are suffering intolerably as the result of a severe medical condition. But certain elements of our assisted dying rules are harming the very people they're meant to protect. Take Owen, an Okanagan...
Dying With Dignity Canada was pleased to host the 2022 World Federation of Right to Die Societies (WFRTDS) International Conference in Toronto November 2 - 5, 2022. In recognition of the event, we will share a series of blog posts about assisted dying around the world, about the WFRTDS, and...
In his final post for the DWDC blog, Dr. David Amies examines the Council of Canadian Academies’ report on the possible implications of extending assisted dying access to individuals whose right to choice is threatened by the ban on advance requests. Regular readers of this blog will know that the...
Dying With Dignity Canada is celebrating an Ontario court decision to uphold provincial regulation that requires doctors who oppose assisted dying to connect patients who request it with a non-objecting provider or agency. The ruling comes in response to a court challenge against the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s...
On January 11, the Dying With Dignity Canada team sat down with Caroline Variath and Dr. Tanja Daws to learn about the topic of bringing up MAID in Canada. For viewing subtitles in French: Click on the video to play, or open in YouTube in a separate window.At the bottom...
Navigating a request for medical assistance in dying in Alberta To begin the process of requesting medical assistance in dying (MAID), it is recommended that you speak with your health care provider or provincial MAID team. Alternatively, you can contact Dying With Dignity Canada’s Support team at support@dyingwithdignity.ca or 1-844-395-3640....
In early November, Jana Buhlmann wrote a powerful entry for the DWDC blog about her husband, Chris, who had a medically assisted death in September 2017. In her follow-up post, Jana reflects on the resistance Chris faced from people in his life who opposed his end-of-life choice — and the...
In this powerfully candid entry for the DWDC blog, British Columbia’s Johanna Clark remembers her husband Neil’s final months following a lung cancer diagnosis in 2017. Neil accessed his wish of a medically assisted death in May 2018, with the heartbreaking knowledge that he could have lived for longer. Neil,...
The top court in Ontario has agreed to hear an appeal into a legal challenge against a regulation that protects patient access to assisted dying in the province. In January, the Superior Court of Justice decided that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s (CPSO) policy on effective referral for...
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