Choice and autonomy

Dear Editor:

RE: Council reverses decision on support letter for new hospice, Aug. 25.

We applaud the Centre Wellington council for their recent decision to support a six-bed hospice in the township that will provide comfort care at end of life on site, including palliative care and medical assistance in dying (MAID).

MAID is a legal end-of-life option for eligible people across Canada; allowing MAID on site ensures a patient does not have to leave their community of care through a forced transfer during an already difficult time.

MAID is a choice made by an individual; there are robust criteria and safeguards in place to rule out coercion, including that the person must be approved by two independent assessors; there is no slippery slope.

Through consultation with various community members, the council established that people support a hospice in the region that permits both palliative care and assisted dying, giving patients choice and autonomy at their end of life.

Helen Long,
CEO, Dying With Dignity Canada