A Town Hall about Accessing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Manitoba

The Neepawa Area Health Auxiliary sponsored a series of presentations on October 10, 2023, including an open discussion about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Maggie Buyko from the MAiD provincial team at Shared Health Manitoba provided a comprehensive presentation on Medical Assistance in Dying including its history, legality, eligibility and other requirements to access the service.

She mentioned that MAiD is a situation where a person seeks and obtains medical help to end their life but there are certain conditions that need to be met in order to access the service. In Canada, there are two options for MAiD: clinician assisted or self-administered. In Manitoba, she mentioned that they don’t participate in self assisted because studies show that it has only a 70% efficacy rate so they only offer the first option.

A local resident in the area, Ellie Taylor, shared her experience with the MAID team and said, “Just under three years ago, when my husband was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer, the oncologist told us on our visit, ‘Ron you have 3 months’ and he was going to die at home, his request and my wish. And he said to me after just a few weeks, ‘Ellie I want to choose MAiD’ and I said oh, okay, and he went that route. He was so well prepared and our families were well prepared, and Maggie was his beautiful nurse and I saw compassion and love during that process that I have never experienced. And his passing was beautiful and gentle and easy for him and for us. I can’t believe how Maggie has affected my life and our kids’ lives and we have stayed connected.”

One of the eligibility criteria to access MAiD is that the person should be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in their capabilities. Maggie said, “The way I go through this with my patient when I’m talking to them on the phone for their intake is I say, think back to when this disease isn’t affecting your life, what were you doing that you can’t do now? If there isn’t a whole lot that you can’t do now, you likely don’t meet this piece of criteria.”

With regard to psychosocial support provided to the families, she mentioned that there are psychosocial services from pre- MAiD to debrief post-MAiD such as grief and family supports. They also provide support to patients who have been declined for MAiD by assisting them on how to navigate resources.

One of the final points the presenter raised is that people are not choosing MAiD because they feel they were failed by their health care team, and that it’s a decision about autonomy and choice.