A Quebec coroner is calling for better mental health support and resources for people who apply for medical assistance in dying.
The recommendation is in response to the case of a 91-year-old Montreal-area man who died by suicide last year shortly after his MAID request was refused.
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Coroner Julie-Kim Godin noted in her recent report that the man had spoken to several medical professionals over the years about his struggles with grief and aging, as well as suicidal thoughts.
He requested MAID while hospitalized after a previous suicide attempt, but was refused because he did not have a serious and incurable illness. He died by suicide a few months later.
Godin says no structured support plan was put in place to help the man despite his repeated requests for help, his MAID application or his previous suicide attempt.
She is recommending the province ensures that everyone who expresses a desire for MAID has access to adequate support for their physical, psychological, psychosocial and spiritual needs.
The supports must also support those who are do not need mental support, but need MAID. When the elderly do not want to live like a vegetable, lying around waiting to die they should have their option of assisted suicide. They have made a reasoned decision, (and as long as it is declared such) not be forced into mental care to convince them otherwise. We should not have to force others to clean up our suicide mess.
If we’re going to expand MAiD, gut virtually every other expenditure, and tell ourselves it’s about “compassion” and not cost-savings, the compassionate thing to do for victims and ever-burdened taxpayers is to cut the cord keeping the registered sex-offenders alive. I WAS anti-death, but that was BEFORE Canada decided killing non-criminals who are just too expensive to keep alive was “compassionate.” I “adjusted” my definition of compassion accordingly.
100% agree with the family. We need much more mental health supports in place before approving MAID. There are definitely people who need it but so many more with mental health issues are not adequately assessed or diagnosed prior to MAID approval. System failed another young person. Just like the Tumbler Ridge incident. System failed that kid too and look what happened. Mental health supports are everything and we aren’t doing nearly enough about it.