'AGAINST HER WILL': Elderly Canadian woman euthanized by government after husband got sick of caring for her: report

An elderly Canadian woman was euthanized through the country’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) program after her case was fast-tracked in a single day, despite earlier indications she wanted to withdraw her request and preferred palliative care, according to a newly released review.

An Ontario MAiD Death Review Committee report examined the case of a woman in her 80s, identified as Mrs. B, who experienced serious complications following coronary artery bypass surgery. After her condition worsened, she entered palliative care before being discharged home, where her husband became her primary caregiver, reports the Western Standard.

The report states that Mrs. B initially requested a MAiD assessment after returning home. However, during that assessment, the practitioner recorded that she still favored palliative care based on her personal and religious beliefs and wanted to withdraw the request.

The following day, Mrs. B was taken to the emergency department by her husband, who told medical staff he was struggling with caregiver burnout. Mrs. B was discharged and sent home, and a request for hospice palliative care placement was denied.

Soon after, her husband contacted the provincial MAiD coordinator seeking an urgent reassessment. A second practitioner deemed Mrs. B eligible for MAiD and moved quickly to advance the process, despite objections raised by the first assessor.

“This MAiD practitioner expressed concerns regarding the necessity for ‘urgency’ and shared belief for the need for more comprehensive evaluation, the seemingly drastic change in perspective of end-of-life goals, and the possibility of coercion or undue influence (i.e., due to caregiver burnout),” the report stated.

The first practitioner requested to meet Mrs. B again the following day, but that request was denied. The report said officials determined that “the clinical circumstances necessitated an urgent provision.”

Instead, a third practitioner was sent to conduct an additional assessment. Mrs. B was approved by that practitioner and was euthanized later the same evening.

While some committee members said urgency is not required in the MAiD process, most expressed concern that there was no clear clinical reason for the assessments and provision to occur within a single day. Members noted the case involved complex circumstances that may have required more time and scrutiny.

The review also raised concerns about potential coercion, citing the husband’s caregiver burnout, limited access to in-patient palliative care, and the fact that MAiD assessments were conducted with the spouse present.