(Right to Life UK) A euthanasia group that built Canada’s first “euthanasia house” aims to open similar “houses” where people can go to end their lives by euthanasia across Canada.
In 2018, two years after euthanasia and assisted suicide were legalized in Canada, a group of euthanasia advocates built what they called the MAiDHouse (Medical Assistance in Dying House) where people can end their lives in a non-clinical that setting.
According to them annual reportTheir euthanasia house “employs 125 people (supporters and eligible patients)”.
However, five years after their inception, they have not found a permanent location where they can perform euthanasia. The group has plans to have these euthanasias across Canada although they are only operating out of a temporary location in Toronto for now.
A ‘personalised’ euthanasia experience
Although this initiative is funded through donations, other locations have sought to profit financially from people who want to end their own lives. Earlier this year, a Canadian funeral home launched a ‘personalized’ euthanasia service starting at $700, which includes the option to watch a movie or drink wine while you die.
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The head of the Complexe Funéraire du Haut-Richelieu, Mathieu Baker, said that launching the new service is a natural step for his company, which aims to provide customized care that meets clients’ needs.
baker said“The person who made the decision is usually convinced, but the children, siblings, or other family members are not always on the same page”.
He said many people do not want to die in hospital or in a care home where staff cannot provide a personalized death experience.
“Do you want to watch a movie? Would you like a glass of wine? Some people want to be in groups of four or five, and we have had groups of up to 30 people”.
The digital newspaper La Presse has raised questions about whether it is appropriate to make money off euthanized people and their families.
One in five cited loneliness as a reason for wanting to die
In 202110,064 lives were lost by assisted suicide or euthanasia, an increase of more than 32% from the previous year, accounting for 3.3% of all deaths in Canada.
According to latest report in Medical Assistance in Dying from Health Canada, 17.3% of people also cited “separation or loneliness” as a reason for wanting to die. In 35.7% of cases, patients believe that they are a “burden to family, friends or caregivers”.
Statistics from the state of Oregon, which legalized assisted suicide in 1997, show that most end-of-life concerns are non-medical. The Oregon Health Authority report for 2021 states that 54.2% of patients are concerned about being a “burden to family, friends/caregivers”. 92% of patients are concerned about being “[l]able to engage in activities that make life enjoyable”. 93.3% are concerned about “loss of autonomy” and 68.1% are concerned about “loss of dignity”. Of the total deaths since 1997, 27.5% listed “inadequate disease control, or worry about it” as one of their end-of-life concerns.
Right To Life UK spokeswoman Catherine Robinson, said “It is very sad to see the growth of the ‘euthanasia industry’ but, with euthanasia legalised, it is inevitable that someone will try to profit from it”.
“However well-intentioned the supporters of these initiatives are, they create the possibility for further exploitation of the most vulnerable as funeral homes try to profit from the desperation of people who need help to survive , not to die”.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Right to Life UK and reprinted here with permission.
