Editor: This is in response to Margaret Smith’s letter, “Comments misrepresent MAiD in Hospice.“
I think Margaret Smith seems to have missed the point of this whole discussion over assisted suicide in the hospice setting. We can all agree or disagree over the delivery of assisted suicide and euthanasia (MAiD) being good or bad.
I believe the issue raised originally is over where this service should be delivered.
The hospice setting by its very definition is exactly the opposite of a place to be euthanized.
“Hospice care neither prolongs nor hastens the dying process.”
It goes against this definition to have death hastened while in hospice care.
There are many other locations in any hospital where this could be done as effectively and with a lot less trauma for those in hospice for the reasons stated.
Doing MAiD in the hospice setting takes all of the motives for having hospice care at all and throws them out the window.
Bottom line is the letter writer has missed the point.
If she wants ands supports MAiD, then by all means she should have it. Just not in the hospice setting.
We would not deliver geriatric care in the maternity ward.
John Hof,
Murrayville
