Death with Dignity laws provide terminally ill, mentally competent people with the legal option to request a physician-aided death using a lethal dose of medication. This week marked the addition of Maine to the growing number of U.S. states that have adopted Death with Dignity laws. It joined California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Photo by Helen Bauer, The Heart of Hospice
Whether you’re a hospice patient or a hospice professional, it’s a good idea to know about the laws in your state. There are requirements surrounding the laws for each state to ensure that only qualified individuals enact the physician-aid process. If you are walking a personal hospice journey and have been given a terminal prognosis, you can talk with your physician about this. If you’re an end of life provider, check out the Death with Dignity National Center for the most up to date information for the individual states.
According to their website, the Death with Dignity National Center is a non-profit organization that:
expands the freedom of all qualified terminally ill Americans to make their own end-of-life decisions, including how they die;
promotes death with dignity laws around the United States based on the groundbreaking Oregon model;
provides information, education, and support about Death with Dignity as an end-of-life option to patients, family members, legislators, advocates, healthcare and end-of-life care professionals, media, and the interested public.
mounts legal defense of physician-assisted dying legislation
Opinions about these laws are influenced by ethics, morals, religious and faith beliefs. The Death with Dignity National Center addresses those as well. You can learn more about how various faiths view assisted deaths by clicking here.
We know this is a controversial topic. It’s divisive. People have strong views on physician-assisted death. Our mission at The Heart of Hospice is always to educate and support you. Whether you’re a patient, family member, healthcare professional, or a student, we would encourage to educate yourself about Death with Dignity laws.