Experts fear husband got wife euthanised even though she backed out because he was burned out

An 80-year-old woman in Canada, who first requested a painless death and then decided against it, was euthanised anyway. The country’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) laws allow a person to choose death if an assessor agrees that their condition meets the criteria. However, a review committed on euthanasia has raised concerns about a lack of proper safeguards, which is leading to questionable deaths, according to a report by The Daily Mail. The Ontario MAiD Death Review Committee released a report mentioning the case of “Mrs B”. She experienced complications after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and her condition worsened. The hospital sent her home with palliative support, and her husband was caring for her. However, given his advanced age, her husband also struggled to care for her. Mrs B told her family she would like to opt for euthanasia under MAiD. Her husband contacted a referral service on her behalf on the same day. But, when the assessor came, she told him she didn’t want to go ahead with it because of “personal and religious values and beliefs”.

The next day, the couple went to the hospital and found that the woman’s husband was experiencing “caregiver burnout”. This led her palliative care doctor to apply for inpatient hospice care, which was denied. However, Mrs B’s husband asked for an urgent second assessment the same day. Another assessor came and found her eligible for euthanasia. As per the rules, the first assessor was contacted, who objected based on the woman’s request. He didn’t see any urgency to do so and believed there was a “possibility of coercion or undue influence (due to caregiver burnout)”. The MAiD provider stated that “the clinical circumstances necessitated an urgent provision”, according to the report. A third assessor became involved, who agreed with the second one and Mrs B was euthanised.

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MAiD Death Review Committee members think Mrs B did not request euthanasia

Some members of the Ontario MAiD Death Review Committee believe “all aspects of Mrs B’s social and end-of-life circumstances and care needs” were not explored. They believed there were chances of “possible external coercion arising from the caregiver’s experience of burnout.” There are doubts that Mrs B ever requested euthanasia, and her partner was the one who initially requested it and went about navigating the process. Her husband was present during the MAiD assessments, and she could have felt pressured to say yes. The process was fast-tracked despite the first assessor objecting.