1. The Life-Protecting Power of Attorney for Personal Care will protect you when you cannot make medical or personal care decisions for yourself.This legal document enables you to appoint someone you trust to be your Power of Attorney for Personal Care. This document makes clear statements concerning euthanasia, assisted suicide and medical treatment options that you need when you are unable to make decisions for yourself such as receiving food and water unless you are actually nearing death.
Each province or state has different legislation concerning power of attorney's for health care. The Life Protecting Power of Attorney uses a basic format that is legal within most jurisdictions.
EPC distributes the Life-Protecting Power of Attorney for $10. Contact EPC at: 1-877-439-3348 or info@epcc.ca.
2. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition urges you to write a simple straight forward letter to your physician to be included within your medical record explaining that you oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide.
EPC will send the Do Not Kill Me wallet card when you call: 1-877-439-3348 or email: info@epcc.ca.
- Being denied medical treatment or basic personal care, such as food and water;
- Has questions related to life-support measures; or
- Concerned that a loved one is considering euthanasia or assisted suicide..
CCC has developed a community based training program to be with people who are lonely and isolated. Contact CCC at: 1-855-675-8749.
Membership in the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is $25 for an individual or $50 for a group. Pay for your membership online, or by credit card by calling EPC at: 1-877-439-3348.
9 comments:
Dear Alex: our Notary has told us that your Power of Attorney re. medical decisions would not apply in BC. The BC Representation Agreement Act 2000 (amended Sept. 2011) gives the right to a designated 'representative' to make decisions for an 'incapacitated' adult. The person with Power of Attorney does not have the right to make health care decisions. Could you explore this please www.ag.gov.bc.ca/inccapacity-planning.
I believe that the form for the POA should just flatout say I DO NOT WANT COMFORT CARE or LETHAL MEDICINE or PAIN MEDICINE EVEN IF I AM CONSIDERED TO BE DYING. My dad had double pneumonia and did not want his breathing tube removed. I informed the respiratory tech and he ignored me, knowing what would happen to my dad. The nurse gave him morphine without telling us it was lethal. One must be specific in saying we do not want drugs administered even if considered dying because sometimes they are not dying and even if they are, they should not be murdered. Susan Fisher
Dear Susan:
It is terrifying to fear medical abuse, but I want pain medicine, if I need it, and I think it is reasonable not to fear being intentionally overdosed. The sad reality is that the more that abuse occurs the less trust of the medical system will exist.
In BC it is very complicated. There are two representation agreements: one is Section 7 and the other is Section 9.
Section 7 allows some attorney privileges pertaining to basic care.
Personally, I had a bad experience with the health authority in Vancouver.
Even though I had a lawyer write them a letter, the health authority just ignored the lawyer and me.
The health authority revoked my section 9 representation agreement by saying that I did not have my husband's best interest because I would not agree to a DNR being placed on him.
Forget about finding a lawyer to help you, the health authorities farm out most of their legal work to big firms so that they are in conflict. And smaller firms are not qualified to handle medical law as their resources are limited.
When my 94-year old mother went into the hospital because of CONSTIPATION only, I believe the hospital made a decision that she would not ever leave alive. She was placed in the farthest room from the nurses station. Given Go-Lightly to pass the impaction but removed from other food and hydration. Each day we were told that she was going to have a procedure done the next day and could not have food. She was still hooked up to an IV and it appeared that she was being hydrated, but two days later, I noticed that the unit wasn't even plugged in. I insisted on a feeding tube and, after doctor approval, a team showed up in her room to convince everyone else in the family that it would be cruel and painful for her to be fed and hydrated. Now, some years before this, I had forms signed by me and her that I was to be her Medical Surrogate and that she could not be starved or dehydrated to death. They were notarized and placed on file both with the court and the hospital where she died. It didn't matter at all.
Sounds like what happened to me.
Compassionate care and giving adequate pain control for end of life care is very different from Euthanasia. Readers need to understand that palliative care, including morphine, given to alleviate pain and suffering and end of life is very different from euthanasia. It is alarming to read that people are refusing palliative care at end of life which is very different from euthanasia. (None the less I agree that anyone who refuses end of life care should be allowed to refuse it.)
Euthanasia is giving another human being the legal right to actively end another person's life.
Does this apply to Alberta Canada?
Contact the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition with any questions at info@epcc.ca
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