Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)

What is Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)?

Medical aid in dying (MAiD) involves the administration of medications by a doctor or a specialized nurse practitioner (SNP), at the patient’s request, in order to relieve their suffering by hastening death.

What is an Advance Request for Medical Aid in Dying (ARMAiD)

An advance request for medical aid in dying can be made by an individual who has been diagnosed with a serious and incurable illness leading to incapacity, such as Alzheimer’s disease, for example. The request must be made while the individual is still able to consent to care, with the intention of receiving medical aid in dying in the future once they become incapacitated, and provided they meet all the conditions set out in the law.

An advance request enables individuals to consent, under certain conditions, to receiving medical aid in dying in the future, in advance of losing their ability to give consent. 

A number of criteria must be satisfied, both in terms of being able to make an advance request for medical aid in dying as well as receiving it.  

Who is eligible for MAiD?

When it comes to the eligibility requirements for medical aid in dying, a two-track approach was introduced into the Criminal Code: one for those whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable and another for those whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable.

Only a person who meets all of the following criteria may obtain medical aid in dying:

  • Be insured according to the Health Insurance Act
  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Be capable of giving consent to care, which means the person must be able to understand the situation and the information given by health professionals as well as make decisions
  • Be in one of the following situations:
    • suffering from a serious and incurable disease and having a medical situation characterized by an advanced and irreversible decline in capacity;
    • have a serious physical impairment resulting in significant and persistent disability.
  • Experience constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner the person deems tolerable.

With regards to an ARMAiD, a competent professional assesses the eligibility of the request for MAiD once the individual in question has become incapable of giving consent and exhibits clinical manifestations previously set out in the ARMAiD deposited in the register.  To be eligible for MAiD, the individual’s medical state must give cause to believe that they are experiencing enduring and unbearable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved under conditions the patient considers tolerable and the request must satisfy all the conditions set out in the law.

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How do I request MAiD or an ARMAiD?

You can direct your request to any healthcare professional. They have a professional obligation to provide you with support.  If they are unable to provide you with the required information or to assist you with your formal request, they must ensure that another professional can do so.

Health professionals must not ignore a request for medical aid in dying or an advance request for medical aid in dying. 

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Clinical support for health professionals

Healthcare professionals who work within the CIUSSS territory, but in a facility other than ours, can contact the Interdisciplinary Support Group by email at: amm.comtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.

Documents de référence (French only)

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