End Of Life Option Act and the Access Campaign Ensuring people have access to medical aid-in-dying. Speaker: Joe Barnes, Public Policy Campaign Manager
Disclosure None of the faculty, planners, speakers, providers nor CME committee has any relevant financial relationships with commercial interest There is no commercial support for this CME activity 2
About Compassion & Choices Compassion & Choices is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most active nonprofit organization committed to improving care and expanding choice at the end of life. Compassion & Choices supports, educates, and advocates. 3
“Life is meaningful because it is a story … ...and in stories, endings matter. ” -Dr. Atul Gawande, Being Mortal 4
By show of hands … 5
How people want their lives to end Journal of the American Society on Aging, June 2015 At home with loved ones With their pain and discomfort managed To have their spiritual needs and values respected Without being a devastating burden for loved ones 6
Bob Stone medical aid-in-dying advocate who died at age 69 years old “For me it’s an existential question about how I live my life and how I die and how I have the right to make those decisions. ” -Bob Stone 7
Los Angeles Times Article 8
Bob Stone Bob’s Auto reply: “ I am dead and will have limited access to email.” 9
End-of-Life Options: • All medical treatment interventions • Discontinuing or refusing medical treatment • Palliative care and palliative sedation • Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking (VSED) • Medical Aid-in-Dying: CA End of Life Option Act 10
California End of Life Option Act Governor Brown signed the bill on October 5, 2015: “I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn't deny that right to others.” 11
What is Medical Aid-in-Dying? Medical aid-in-dying is a safe and trusted practice in which a terminally ill, mentally capable adult with a prognosis of six months or less to live has the option to request from their doctor a prescription for medication which they can choose to self-ingest to end unbearable suffering and die peacefully. This medical practice is also known as death with dignity. 12
Eligibility Requirements • California resident • 18 years or older • Terminally ill with a prognosis of 6 months or less • Capable of making medical decisions 13
Other requirements include: • Physician must inform person about all end-of-life care options • Two verbal requests and one written request • Two physicians must confirm eligibility • Two witnesses must attest to the voluntary nature of the individual’s request • Person must be able to take and ingest the medication themselves • 48 hour attestation form 14
Provisions of the law: • Wills, contracts, insurance and annuity policies are not affected by a person choosing medical aid-in-dying • Medical aid-in-dying is not considered suicide or assisted suicide 15
Talking about Death 16
Statistics from Oregon • 1,545 prescriptions written, 64% took medication • Most were over age 65 and had a diagnosis of cancer • 91% were enrolled in hospice • Primary reason for choosing aid-in-dying was loss of ability to engage in activities that make life enjoyable • Not one instance of abuse in 18 years 17
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The Access Campaign Passing a law that authorizes medical aid-in-dying is just the first step. Ensuring people understand the process and have access to supportive healthcare systems is at the core of the Access Campaign’s goals . The Access Campaign: educates the public empowers individuals educates healthcare systems provides assistance for supportive policy development 19
The real impact the Access Campaign can make 20
Public Outreach Places for Public Outreach: Retirement communities and senior centers Assisted living facilities Service clubs Health and wellness fairs Libraries Newspapers, newsletters, and other media What the events can encompass: Educational presentations about how the law works Seminars and Lectures (i.e. How to Talk to Your Doctor About End-of-Life Options) Film screenings Farmers’ Markets 21
Medical Outreach Who is included? Physicians Nurses Medical Social Workers Hospice staff and leadership Long-term care managers How to reach theses demographics: Medical conferences Professional training workshops at hospitals and hospices Giving presentations to professional associations 22
Compassion & Choices Resources ✓ End of Life Option Act recording: 800-893-4548 ✓ End of Life Option Act website: www.endoflifeoption.org ✓ Information about upcoming events: www.compassionandchoices.org/attend-an-event/ ✓ Doc2Doc consultation service for physicians: 800-893-4548 23
Compassion & Choices California For presentations to healthcare consumers, community groups and organizations, please contact the California Outreach Manager: Erika Ruiz eruiz@compassionandchoices.org (213) 910-2461 For presentations to medical professionals, organizations and institutions, please contact the California Medical Outreach Manager: Stefanie Elkins selkins@compassionandchoices.org (213) 819-8781 24
Questions? 25
Please feel free to contact Priscilla with any questions you may have. Priscilla Bruny Program Coordinator Geriatric Medicine Division P.Bruny@ruhealth.org (951) 486-5623
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