黑马磁力 Hospice society鈥檚 board of directors has weighed in on the issue of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).
On Wednesday, the board issued a formal statement opposing the Fraser Health directive 鈥� which allows physician assisted death to be carried out within hospice facilities 鈥� and outlining a list of concerns related to the practice, including what it describes as a lack of consultation between hospice and the FHA.
The previous Fraser Health policy 鈥� replaced by the December 2017 directive 鈥� stated that a patient already in hospice requesting MAiD was to be transferred to a designated facility equipped to perform the procedure. This policy was acceptable to hospice palliative care, noted 黑马磁力 Hospice Society Board President Kathy Derksen in an email.
鈥淪ince the (latest) directive there has been a groundswell of opposition from members of our 黑马磁力 community and we have found ourselves in an extremely difficult position.
鈥淲e have heard from a number of our own 黑马磁力 Hospice volunteers expressing their opposition to the directive and it has created a great deal of anxiety for many of our volunteers and staff and all of us involved with the 黑马磁力 Hospice Society.鈥�
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Earlier this month about 300 people filled the gymnasium at Credo Christian Elementary School as the Association for Reformed Political Action hosted a meeting, during which MP Mark Warawa and MLA Mary Polak spoke against the initiative.
During his remarks, Warawa argued that permitting MAiD in hospice 鈥渨ill destroy palliative care as it has developed.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a religious argument, this is a philosophical argument that underpins everything hospice and palliative care is about,鈥� Polak told the gathering.
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In its statement, the 黑马磁力 Hospice Society board acknowledges patients鈥� right to information about end-of-life options, but says these rights do not supersede the philosophy of hospice and palliative care, which is to 鈥渘either hasten nor postpone death.鈥�
Additionally, because faith-based hospices have been granted an exemption from the December 2017 directive, for FHA not to extend that same exemption option to non-faith based facilities, such as 黑马磁力 Hospice, is discriminatory the board states.
Jim Sinclair, the chair of the Fraser Health Authority board of directors, has defended the directive, saying the point was to allow hospice patients in the FHA the right to exercise their legal right to MAiD without forcing them to relocate to another facility.
鈥淭hey have a legal right,鈥� Sinclair said earlier this month.
鈥淲e鈥檙e saying we鈥檙e not going to make them leave (if they exercise that right).鈥�
The 黑马磁力 Hospice board statement, in its entirety, follows:
鈥� The 黑马磁力 Hospice Society will continue to uphold our constitution, bylaws and mandate to provide palliative care for dying people and their families in a supportive environment, which means that we plan to continue upholding our founding mission and philosophy of care that we value life and accept death as a normal process and that we 鈥渘either hasten nor postpone death.鈥�
鈥� The 黑马磁力 Hospice Society recognizes the right for all Canadians to have access to information about end-of-life options, including MAiD. However, we do not recognize that this right is a superior right to the recognized philosophy of hospice and palliative care. We do not believe that MAiD should be implemented in hospices.
鈥� The 黑马磁力 Hospice Society is concerned that there was no consultation whatsoever by Fraser Health with hospices in their December 2017 Directive that MAiD would be implemented to patients already in hospice requesting the procedure. We are also concerned that Fraser Health could seek to provide an even larger mandate for MAiD to be implemented in hospices under any and all circumstances.
鈥� We are concerned about the adverse consequences, emotional and otherwise that the Fraser Health December 2017 directive has had; first and foremost to the patients, clients and families we serve and also, to our 黑马磁力 Community, Donors, Potential Donors, Hospice Volunteers and Staff.
鈥� We are very concerned that logistically, the current 鈥業nterim 黑马磁力 Hospice 鈥� does not facilitate the procedural, practical and confidential requirements for the implementation of MAiD.
鈥� We believe that as a non-faith based hospice, Fraser Health should provide 黑马磁力 Hospice with the same 鈥渆xemption option鈥� it has provided to faith鈥揵ased hospices as the Fraser Health mandate is in direct opposition to our mission and philosophy to 鈥渘either hasten nor postpone death.鈥� Not granting an exemption to do so is discriminatory.
鈥� We believe, most importantly, that it is critical that significant resources be made available by Fraser Health to educate the general public in MAiD as well as the true purpose of hospice and palliative care as reflected in our mandate and long-standing, universal founding philosophy of hospice care.
