The committee which oversees the Prescott-Russell Residence in Hawkesbury has developed a policy for what to do when a resident is considering medically-assisted death, an option recently legalized by government of Canada.
The policy, published as part of the agenda for the Residence committee’s November 11 meeting, says physician-assisted deaths will not be available at the residence itself, but that people who meet the criteria set out in the law will be referred to an establishment where the option is available.
Chair of the committee, Champlain Township Mayor Gary Barton, said no requests have been made at the residence for the service, and the new policy was written in an effort to be “proactive.” It was written in consultation with the doctors at the residents, none of whom are willing to administer medically-assisted death, he said.
The process would begin when a resident expressed an interest in medically-assisted dying to his or her doctor. The doctor would, according to the policy, inform the patient of their prognosis and available treatments, including assisted dying, “specifying that the service of medically-assisted death isn’t practiced at our establishment, but that steps can be taken to find an establishment that does practice it,” the policy reads. Barton said it has not yet been determined what establishment that would be.
If the patient chose medically assisted death, they would make a verbal request and then a written request, which is required by law. Their doctor would begin the process of transferring them to another establishment, and the ethics committee would meet with staff members for discussions regarding any “help necessary for residents, members of the family, and caregivers.” The policy was approved by the committee but doesn’t yet have the approval of the counties council, Barton said.
