Euthanesia to be authorized in Canada for mentally handicapped

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BetteTheRed said:
Maybe the system should be bit more responsive to the "don't call me, I'll call you" protocol?
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but, do you know for a fact, that it isn't? I'm just curious.

I think that people need a buddy system to make a call, especially when there are questions raised such as this.
 
Northwind said:
As far as I understand she hasn't been offered a time for an assessment. That's not the issue. The issue is the woman calling to "check in" on her.
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Ok, i'm confused.

You said she registered for MAID.
My understanding is the first part of the MAID step after registration is assessment.

If she doesn't want to be assessed, can she not just ask for her name to be removed from the registry?

My guess is there is some poor scheduling clerk, who has a person registered requiring assessment, who is not wanting an assessment.
Ideally, they should be able to say "would you like me to remove you from the request list"; however, my guess is there are also protocols where only the patient can do so.
 
If her name is removed from the registry then apparently there's a risk that she won't be able to access it. According to the woman a lot of people are asking for it and only a few doctors perform it. I don't know details. I do know that my friend is busy dealing with chemo and is feeling pressured. I don't know why she hasn't been assessed or what specifically needs to happen for her to be assessed.

As I said, this is not black and white.
 
Northwind said:
Her mother is in town. She does have supports. She's 60 years old and has been someone who looks after people. She has a circle of supportive friends and knows how to reach out.
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Hi Northwind, I must have misunderstood the scenario you were outlining.

I also understand that no two cancers are the same, or treatments, or plans.
I am overdue for some followup on a few items, and, well, been thinking of my mom, and other's.
So many of our decisions is dependent on circumstances -- family, individual, conditions, geolocation.
I hope that I am able to manage both my own wishes, and family, when the eventual time comes. I hope that i can be analytical at a time, when it is likely that I won't be. I hope that my friends will join me on calls as they have done before, should the time come, to ensure that my voice is heard.

again, nothing new with me, but aware, at my age, and with my history, anything could happen
 
One factor I didn't mention is that this woman's diagnosis was totally unexpected. She was having symptoms in 2020. They diagnosed her with a hernia. She waited for surgery. When she was in surgery they realized she had metastatic ovarian cancer. As you can imagine it was a major shock. It was bad enough to get that diagnosis after all that time. The MAID stuff just added to the shock.

Jayne I hope your checks go well and that all is clear.

I've given it some thought. At this point I'm not interested in pursuing MAID. I know there's a good palliative care team and would hope that would be enough. Of course, if things go sideways who knows what I'll decide.
 
Northwind said:
Of course, if things go sideways who knows what I'll decide.
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That's what great hospice care comes down to, if it comes down to it. I cannot say enough for our local hospice I've spent time there with friends, the kitchen ladies there shop in my store with so much love and care. They are totally in tune with a whole end of life support cycle, from ministry to family support to death doulas to MAID. They welcome and integrate family and friends into the end of life processes...
 
For my friend who chose MAID due to MS --- hospice wasn't the solution, or at least not to them.
For family members of friends with ALS, the same thing. Hospice wasn't a solution, or at least not to them.

I feel it is common request for any situation where your brain functions well, but are drastically impacting core functions, such as respiratory, swallowing
 
I think we could mainly agree that MAID for those with terminal illness facing unnecessary and unalleviable suffering has been a good thing.

Why does anyone other than the Quebec supreme court think we need more?
 
BetteTheRed said:
I think we could mainly agree that MAID for those with terminal illness facing unnecessary and unalleviable suffering has been a good thing.

Why does anyone other than the Quebec supreme court think we need more?
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What would be your response to John Scully?
 
Jayne, I think you know that I have known two people with decades of clinical depression, because I have mentioned them here. I doubt very much either would have requested MAID, but knowing their torture, I could not have faulted them. Maybe there needs to be a 'notwithstanding' clause that a bunch of professionals have to sign off on.

And I don't want to touch dementia. I think that's the slope I don't want to go down.
 
My grandmother had dementia. Her mother had it. My extra father's partner went into a care home today because of dementia. I'm not convinced that dementia is enough for MAID. Good care is better. It is though not my place to tell others what they can or cannot do in that regard. I'm just concerned that it is a cheap replacement for good care.
 
When I watched B's father struggle with dementia, I thought I would want MAiD if I developed severe dementia. No longer. O decided my pride would take second place to allowing others to care for me if I am unable to care for myself. It was very hard for him. He had tears when he learned my father had died. He seemed to wish that he had died instead..
 
My father in law's death had a few graces: his transition was really well managed in partnership with a woman who loved him so much, his own real suffering seemed not to be great except for a few agitated transition phases.

Getting to pick might be some sort of lucky luxury maybe.
 
My father was like an animal. His body was suffering. In the end, he could not swallow. He had no awareness of where he was. He wailed in agony and before that in frustration. He suffered terribly, was sent to ER, and it went on, until finally, we had agreement from the medical team to stop feeding and fluids and to medicate the s**t out of him. His heart was unbelievably strong. Note: this was not a week, or a day. His suffering was for an extended period of time. I hired PSW's to sit with him to supplement staff and family.

I get for some people, they may not be in pain with dementia, they may not be in an animal-like state, thrashing and bruising one's arms and legs and head, trying to climb out of whatever, being put in a chair that made it more difficult, having staff that do not know how to cope with a person in such pain. Maybe he didn't know how much pain he was in. Maybe an infant who has terrible pain doesn't know, and is wailing / screaming / thrashing. Maybe. At the core though, I don't want to be in that space. There is no gift to family in watching it. There is no gift or honourable caring, in myopinion to staff who have to care for them.

It is a curse to have taken care of your physical body if you have dementia which reaches advanced stage. You won't die quickly.
 
That's sad Jayne and choosing MAID would be preferable for sure. My grandfather had almost the opposite experience. His brain remained sharp as a tack while his body crapped out on him.
 
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