Literature Review

More than 200 terminally ill Vermonters qualified for the state’s aid-in-dying law in its first decadeVT Digger, 12/28/23Over 200 terminally ill patients have sought and qualified to receive life-ending drugs since Vermont first legalized medical-aid-in-dying more than a decade ago, according to a recent report from the Vermont Department of Health. Vermont first legalized the practice—sometimes referred to as “death with dignity” by supporters or “assisted suicide” by opponents—in May 2013. From then until the end of June 2023, 203 Vermonters sought and qualified for the medication, according to the report. Not all of those who had access to the drugs obtained or used them, according to the Department of Health. Some died from the underlying disease. ... A vast majority of those who utilized the program had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, according to the report.

Death by Doctor May Soon Be Available for the Mentally Ill in CanadaNew York TimesDecember 27, 2023Canada already has one of the most liberal assisted death laws in the world, offering the practice to terminally and chronically ill Canadians. But under a law scheduled to take effect in March assisted dying would also become accessible to people whose only medical condition is mental illness, making Canada one of about half a dozen countries to permit the procedure for that category of people. That move has divided Canadians, some of whom view it as a sign that the country’s public health care system is not offering adequate psychiatric care, which is notoriously underfunded and in high demand. 

Third of patients given lethal drugs under right-to-die laws ‘do not take them’The Telegraph (England), 12/23/23More than a third of suicidal patients who are prescribed lethal drugs under right-to-die laws do not take them, data show. Just 1,905 of the 2,895 people prescribed assisted dying pills in Oregon, US, between 1998 and 2021 took them, according to the state’s public health data. The figures are mirrored in the neighbouring state of California, where in 2021, 286 of the 772 people prescribed a fatal dose ultimately decided against using it. Even in Canada, where medically-assisted deaths are the most pervasive and accepted in the world, around 13,000 people of the 15,500 with lethal drug prescriptions in 2022 used them—and around 300 people changed their mind. Experts consider the Oregon model, whereby a doctor specialising in end-of-life care prescribes a deadly drug to be taken at home by a patient, as the best option for Britain, should MPs vote for a change in the law.

The Hospice Action Network Presents 2023 Angel Awards HonoreesNews ReleaseDecember 19, 2023Alexandria, VA—The Hospice Action Network (HAN), the advocacy affiliate group of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is pleased to announce its 2023 Hospice Action Network Angel Award Honorees. ... New this year is the addition of the first-ever “Courageous Conversations Award” to be presented, when merited, to a standout individual who has inspired and educated the public on the value of hospice. At 99, former President Jimmy Carter is the longest living U.S. President and the first known President to utilize the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This year’s HAN award recipients are as follows:

A plea before dying—on behalf of those who might need itBy Burt RiskedahlTwin Cities Pioneer PressDecember 19, 2023I am so grateful for many of the important legislative bills approved in the 2023 session of the Minnesota Legislature, particularly those that protect reproductive health rights, ensure LGBTQ access to needed care and treatment, and provide significant funding for increased access to education. ... Regretfully, the Legislature failed to enact another important measure, the Minnesota End-of-Life Options Act, that would have also provided important rights to people. 

Assisted-suicide bills in Mass. present risks to patients, publicBy Madelyn Hicks, MDWorcester (MA) Telegram & GazetteDecember 17, 2023The Massachusetts Legislature’s Committee on Public Health is considering two bills that would legalize physician-assisted suicide in the commonwealth. As a Massachusetts physician, as a psychiatrist who treats persons with mental health problems, and as a daughter who has dealt with the loss of a parent to a debilitating illness, I am concerned by flaws in these bills that present risks to individual patients and the public. Trust in the health care system would likely be damaged for many, but especially for communities that have experienced health care inequity who have not been consulted on these bills. Disparities already exist in end-of-life care so that Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ patients are less likely to receive palliative care or hospice care. 

Heed history’s warning on aid in dyingBy Sen. John HoffmanStar Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)December 14, 2023Legislative proposals to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Minnesota have been introduced in Minnesota every year since 2015. The bill contents change regularly as the authors try to stay ahead of the numerous legal, medical and ethical objections that are raised. Many of the changes just create new concerns. In whatever form, such legislation is dangerous and would likely have serious consequences for vulnerable populations—particularly those with disabilities.[Editor’s Note: The author is a member of the Minnesota Senate representing Champlin. He is a member of Democrat Farmer-Labor.]

My mom’s agonizing death shows need for peaceful dying option in MinnesotaBy Françoise Willems-ShirleyMinn PostDecember 15, 2023The end was near and all that was left was more pain and suffering. Many of us, who have not been through this experience, imagine hospice to be a peaceful time where we say our goodbyes to loved ones, reflect on our life and our memories, until we quietly slip away holding the hands of those we cherish. Sadly, this could not have been further from the truth for my mom. For our family, hospice turned out to be a time of tremendous suffering, pain, trauma and sadness. ... That’s why I am so grateful that a medical aid-in-dying bill will be introduced in the Minnesota Legislature this session.[Editor’s Note: The author resides in Hopkins, MN.]

Missouri legislation would allow doctor-assisted suicide for terminal patientsKFVS-TV (Cape Girardeau, MO)December 13, 2023Jefferson City, MO—A bill that’s been pre-filed in the Missouri House of Representatives would open the door to medically-assisted suicide for patients who have been diagnosed with terminal diseases. The legislation, nicknamed the ‘Marilyn Teitelbaum Death with Dignity’ Act, was named after a St. Louis-area women who traveled with family members to Denver as she suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and was seeking to end her life. 

Disability activists also oppose aid in dyingBy Susie MosherDaily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA)December 9, 2023... For the aged or those with degenerative or chronic diseases, many people in the final stages of life are suddenly, newly disabled without having lived a life managing a disability. Inadequate resources, the lack of emotional support, the physical challenges, the stresses on relatives and caregivers—all are overwhelming. ... We know that, despite good intentions, the state of Massachusetts already has many agencies, policies and programs that are underfunded, not carefully monitored, poorly managed, and understaffed. People with mental illnesses, disabilities, without power, and without a voice are not well served. People with disabilities know how the health care system and our government fails them as they struggle daily to advocate for themselves. Legislators and news outlets would do well to listen to people who face existential challenges day to day. The disability community is advocating for palliative services, not lethal doses. They have experienced the terrifying slippery slope of “quality of life” assessments by professionals. Their testimony advocates for education and support for caregivers, not assisted suicide.

Medical aid in dying allows patients to control their livesBy Bella SolimineHartford CourantDecember 8, 2023Medical aid in dying, or MAID, frequently referred to as “physician assisted suicide,” is not a common topic of conversation among college students. However, over the past four years MAID has been a lingering presence in my life. My mother’s 56-year-old brother, who suffers from chronic pain after a crippling injury, began considering MAID as an option for ending his life in 2020.[Editor’s Note: The author is a senior at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.]

COVID vaccination rates ‘alarmingly’ low among nursing home staff, CDC says—’A real danger’FOX NewsDecember 7, 2023Despite the higher risk that the coronavirus poses to older adults, a surprisingly low share of nursing home staff and residents are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. Only six states are indicating that over 10% of staff members are updated on their vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Supporters optimistic that aid-in-dying legislation could get vote in 2024 General AssemblyMaryland MattersDecember 4, 2023... Maryland lawmakers have tried year after year, but so far, no bill to legalize medical aid in dying has passed. But supporters of the legislation think that 2024 might be the year it passes, due to a changing political climate and overall voter support for the measure.