Editor:
Re: George Stewart letter on MAiD (Optimist, March 18).
Mr. Stewart commented on the benefit that “...dying is a natural and logical extension of the services offered by the Irene Thomas Hospice facility” and “It’s setting is conducive to a peaceful transition;” through MAiD.
I have had the privilege to be with a couple of patients at the ITH facility in the last five years or so.
Anyone who has had similar experiences there would not forget the peaceful, quiet stillness when visiting the dying there.
We know what the good palliative care does for the dying at this wonderful facility.
We need to have the conversation and information regarding the process of the MAiD assisted dying to ask the question, ‘Is it a peaceful, quiet and serene transition for the dying’ like the palliative care we know at the ITH? What does MAiD sound like, feel like? Can the MAiD process respectfully be administered together with the palliative care process that we know, in a facility like the ITH?
Bill Jones
