‘MAiD in Nanoose, through the eyes of a practitioner’
The last time Dr. Meghan Towers made a ‘house call’ to the NW Bay Probus Club, it was October 2019. Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was in its infancy. Five years later, Dr. Towers provided an update that transfixed the over-flow crowd of Probus members, and a few guests, to boot.
She presented a balance of legislative context, quantitative measures (editorial comment: seldom have bar graphs captured so much attention) and sensitive case studies drawn from her personal experience as a MAiD provider. She summarized the progress made in the past five years, and highlighted ongoing and future challenges.
Frankly, her presentation is impossible to summarize. I’ll just highlight some of the more revealing statistics (as of Q2, 2024 unless otherwise noted), then guide you on how to learn more about MAiD, and how to reach out to a MAiD provider. A few slides from her presentation are also included below:
- Fully 8.1% of deaths (from all causes) in British Columbia resulted from MAiD. This compares with 3.9 % in Ontario, 3.1% in Alberta and 1.2% in Manitoba.
- The number of MAiD results in the Vancouver Island Health Authority exceeded every other Health Authority in BC.
- The medical reason for MAiD on the Island (as of 2019) was most frequently cancer, followed in descending order by organ failure, neurological conditions, frailty and ‘other’.
- MAiDs on the Island (as of 2019) most frequently occurred at home, followed in descending order at a hospital, hospice, palliative care unit, long term care unit and assisted living residence.
Dr. Towers pointed out that there are many different reasons a person chooses MAiD. Furthermore, MAiD is not for everyone. However, her experience is that MAiD patients value the opportunity to control the last days of their lives; and that family (and sometimes friends, even pets) can celebrate the end of a loved one’s life, often with favoured foods, stories – even humour. She reflected on the peacefulness of the end of a MAiD patient’s life.
For those interested in knowing more about MAiD, please consult:
https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/medical-assistance-dying/medical-assistance-dying and https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca
For those wishing to reach a MAiD provider please contact MAiD VIHA Central Office at 1-877-370-8699 (toll free) or maid@islandhealth.ca
Report by Terry Kelly