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Two personal stories regarding MAID (euthanasia)
On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, he was admitted to the hospital with a suspected pulmonary embolism. It was diagnosed and he was receiving treatment (blood thinners and morphine). On Saturday, his doctor came into his room (I was not with him at the time) and said to him, “I am embarrassed to ask you this question, but I am required by federal mandate to ask people over the age of 65: Do you want to end this?” (He’s 67) with MGUS, a pre-cancerous condition. He immediately replied that he did not, and she said that she wouldn’t have accepted his answer anyway. He called me surprised and shocked and relayed his experience to me.
I would have thought that perhaps he was confused because of the morphine, if it were not for an experience a dear friend of mine had three years ago when she was dealing with Stage 4 breast cancer. She fainted while she and her husband were out and he rushed her to the hospital in Calgary. When she awoke, she was in a hospital bed. Confused, she asked the nurse where she was. The nurse explained that she was in the hospital awaiting MAID. She asked what that was and when it was explained to her, she was outraged. She said she would never, ever request such a thing. When she chastised her husband for letting her be in that position, he was chagrined and said that when they brought her in, they asked her if she wanted it and she had agreed.
Both of these experiences suggest that MAID is being raised not in response to the patient’s request, but rather based on age or the medical team’s assessment of quality of life. This is frightening.
I believe that these two stories are not isolated. I fear many other seniors and vulnerable patients are being approached in similar ways and may not have the ability or presence of mind to respond confidently or resist. It makes me wonder if a hospitalized person needs the 24 hour presence of an advocate to prevent them from being pressured to take MAiD. The narrative seems to have gone from a terminal person asking for MAiD to doctors asking if the person wants MAiD when they are in a vulnerable position. My prediction is that it will soon shift to pressure on people to do the right thing by ending their suffering. (Similar to Trudeau asking retired people to give up their homes for younger people).
I share these testimonies with you in hopes that your organization can bring further attention to this disturbing trend and advocate for:
- Transparency in how MAID is being introduced in hospital settings,
- Clear, age-neutral policies regarding end-of-life conversations,
- Stronger safeguards against miscommunication, pressure, or consent violations
I am grateful that there are organizations like yours who advocate for the vulnerable sector among us.
Barbara
3 comments:
When did it become part of the federal mandate to ask this question? I am concerned because what happens if we are not there if my mother goes into hospital again? Every time she has gone into the hospital since her broken hip, it is something that wouldn't even require that question being asked, but because she is now 80, it's automatic to ask? More needs to be done about this new information, because this is threatening people's lives. And if this is the case, is this why someone like Roger Foley is not getting the self-directed care he's supposed to be entitled to, he's being steered in the direction of MAiD? This makes a lot more sense now, doesn't it?
I am a physician in Alberta. As far as I know, there is no "federal mandate" here or anywhere in this country to ask seniors if they want to be killed medically. If doctors are saying that, they should be challenged to show that "mandate"! IN the beginning, patients had to initiate any such discussion - I am not sure if that still holds, but certainly there is no federal (or other) requirement for a health care provider to ask and initiate such a conversation. It is a sad thing that it is even a possibility, regardless of who initiates the conversation...
Dr. Craig - if what you say is true, that MAID is not actually a "federal mandate" I have to wonder why it's being offered in Alberta since the UPC changed some policies regardless of patients not even requesting information about it. A friend of ours, just age 68 last year passed away due to stage 4 cancer, in the Wetaskiwin Hospital. We visited him a few days before as we knew he was moved into a palliative care room. We arrived around noon and he told us that morning he had just had a surprise visit from two doctors who explained it was their duty to let him know MAID was available if he wanted and what it entailed. He told us he decided to sign the form they offered, with the understanding it was a conditional consent on him asking verbally. He said he signed because he felt persuaded by what they said about his condition and possible pain he might have to suffer could become less manageable. He said he didn't want his wife to see him in severe pain. However, as we later learned from his widow, who was near him when he passed peacefully and naturally he never did ask for MAID. I have also gained understanding from some practicing nurses in both Capital Health (Public) and Covenant Health Care facilities (Catholic). I was told that in Covenant Health care hospitals and nursing homes, they refuse to offer MAID forms on site, as that is contrary to their mission. However, the Nurses and Doctors working for Covenant Health are still apparently pressured ethically as they also recognize the law requiring they at least advise admitted palliative patients where, outside their facilities, they may access the legal forms for requesting MAID nearby. I suggest you check your facts about the status of the law and/or policy and write your concerns to your Professional association, your MLA, and MP. I recently wrote to our MLA as well about apparent prejudice of ageism as we have been advised now the Province is cutting back insurance amounts payable for Senior citizen's prescription medications. There again, is a shameful attempt to make living and dying naturally more costly and more difficult for the "baby boomers" demographic, though in fact most Seniors have worked and saved to be able to afford to retire, and of course still having to pay taxes like anyone else on their pension income.
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