Choosing how we die
Re: Key part of ‘ dying with dignity’ being ignored, Barbara Kay, March 28
Both palliative care and assisted dying are essential options on a spectrum of care for people navigating their end-of-life choices. Both have the support of an overwhelming majority of Canadians.
That’s why we at Dying With Dignity Canada are perplexed by Barbara Kay’s recent attempt to frame palliative care and assisted dying as the two opposing ends of an ideological tug of war.
In reality, the push for better palliative care and the legalization of medical assistance in dying are informed by the same values: treating suffering individuals with compassion, respecting their personal autonomy and recognizing their inherent worth as human beings.
These principles led to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Carter vs. Canada, which positioned the right to a peaceful death as an extension of the Charter right to “life, liberty and security of the person.”
In other words, the right to choice in how we die is an expression of our right to choice in how we live.
The key word here is choice. Though the phrase “dying with dignity” has been conflated with assisted dying, we each get to define what a good death means to us, based on our own individual experiences, values and wishes. We don’t get to decide for others; they don’t get to decide for us. This belief is what drives our work. It is part of the fibre of who we are.
Hospice volunteers, palliative- care physicians and antipoverty activists count themselves as members of our movement. So do Canadians who advocate for the right of individuals with disabilities to live their lives to their fullest potential, free from discrimination and safe from abuse. We may be involved in different kinds of work, but we are allies in defending human rights for all.
In conclusion, we reject attempts to cast palliative care and assisted dying as opposing players in a zero-sum game.
For Dying With Dignity Canada’s part, we will continue to call for more and better palliative care, just as we will continue to serve as the leading defender of the right to medical assistance in dying. Championing one doesn’t mean opposing the other. Canadians want, and deserve, fair access to both. Shanaaz Gokool, CEO of Dying With Dignity Canada, and Richard W. Ivey, chair of Dying With Dignity Canada’s Patrons Council