Exploring How Family Members Experience Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)

This study explored how family members experience Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), since the 2016 Canadian legislation. The Listening Guide, a qualitative research methodology, was used to hear the experiences of seven family members from across Canada, whose loved one received MAiD. Analyses revealed that family members experienced tension in negotiating relationship to themselves, to their loved one, and to others involved. These tensions were heard in four voices throughout the study: witnessing, caregiving, honouring choice and supporting dignity, and surrendering and letting go. Current procedures and policies tend to focus on the individual receiving MAiD. Shifting practices to align with relational ethics could challenge healthcare providers to consider how they might support family members. By acknowledging the social context of the patient receiving MAiD, this study extends the discourse surrounding MAiD beyond the realm of individual autonomy, suggesting a shift in care from being patient-focused to being truly person-centred.