Glossary of Terms

A generic term for the umbrella of planning documents in which you think about and express your wishes for future health care and treatment in circumstances where you can’t speak for yourself.

If you are eligible for medical assistance in dying (MAID) and choose to self-administer the medications, you can provide advance consent – a written arrangement with your provider to complete your assisted death by intravenous (IV) administration, in the event of complications. Different from a waiver of final consent and advance request.

See advance directive.

A document, written while you are well and able to make decisions, in which you state your wishes for future medical or non-medical care. It is intended to help ensure that your wishes are respected if you become unable to make decisions for yourself. Terms vary by province and territory. Advance directive may also be called advance health directive, advance care directive, advance medical directive, or a living will. 

See advance directive.

See advance directive.

A written request for medical assistance in dying (MAID) that could be honoured later, after the person has lost the capacity to make medical decisions for themselves. Advance requests for MAID are not currently legal in Canada.

The Province of Quebec became the first jurisdiction in Canada to allow advance requests for those diagnosed with a serious and incurable illness leading to incapacity (e.g., Alzheimer’s), effective October 30, 2024. This means there is a discrepancy between Quebec and federal MAID laws, and the options that people in Quebec have at the end of life compared to the rest of Canada. Learn more about Dying With Dignity Canada’s advocacy for advance requests across Canada.

See patient advocate.

See Substitute Decision-Maker.

There are many terms used around the globe for medical assistance in dying, the term we use in Canada. Terms vary in jurisdictions with assisted dying laws. See medical assistance in dying (MAID).

There are many terms used around the globe for medical assistance in dying, the term we use in Canada. Terms vary in jurisdictions with assisted dying laws. See medical assistance in dying (MAID).

Someone who is providing care or support to a person who is critically ill or injured or needing end-of-life care. On this website, the term is used to refer to someone who provides unpaid care because of a personal relationship, not because of a job or career. Different from a patient advocate.

A charitable, nonprofit organization that supports MAID professionals in their work, educates the health care community about MAID, and provides leadership on determining standards and guidelines in MAID practice.

Someone’s ability to process information about an illness and proposed treatment options to make a choice that aligns with their personal values and preferences.

Applying pressure to the chest, or an electric charge to re-start the heart, and sending air directly into the lungs to assist in breathing.

A gathering held to honour and remember a person’s life. It may include storytelling, music, food, or other personal elements that reflect who they were. It may take place before or after a death – sometimes even weeks or months later. The word celebration is often used to describe a more informal gathering than a traditional funeral or memorial service. Some people use the terms celebration and ceremony interchangeably, while others draw a distinction based on what happens at the gathering. See also: End-of-life celebration or end-of-life ceremony.

Non-biological kinship bonds, whether legally recognized or not, deliberately chosen for the purpose of mutual support and love.

A profound state of unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened by pain, light, sound, or vigorous stimulation. There may be some movements, but these are not conscious acts.

When a health care provider does not wish to provide, or participate in a legal and clinically appropriate treatment or procedure because it conflicts with their personal beliefs or values.

A person who provides emotional, practical, and spiritual care for a dying person at the end of life. Death doulas typically operate outside of Canada’s public health care system.

See Substitute Decision-Maker.

The loss of ability to think, problem-solve, and remember, severe enough to interfere with everyday life. Dementia is the result of changes in certain brain regions that cause neurons (nerve cells) and their connections to stop working properly. The most common primary dementia syndromes are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Each dementia syndrome has a recognizable disease profile.

a person responsible for managing digital accounts, files, and online information after someone’s death.

See advance directive.

A medical order indicating that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should not be attempted if a person’s heart stops beating or they stop breathing. The terminology and the process for making a request and ensuring it is accessible to paramedics and physicians when needed varies by province or territory.

The conditions a person must meet to qualify for a medical treatment or process. In the context of medical assistance in dying (MAID), eligibility criteria are set by Canadian law and assessed by health care providers.

A gathering held to honour and remember a person’s life. It may include storytelling, music, food, or other personal elements that reflect who they were. It may take place before or after a death – sometimes even weeks or months later. The word celebration is often used to describe a more informal gathering than a traditional funeral or memorial service. Some people use the terms celebration and ceremony interchangeably, while others draw a distinction based on what happens at the gathering. See also: Celebration of life or End-of-life ceremony.

A funeral, memorial, or similar gathering held shortly after a person’s death. These ceremonies may be religious, spiritual, cultural, or secular, and often provide an opportunity for mourning, reflection, and remembrance.

There are many terms used around the globe for medical assistance in dying – the term we use in Canada. Terms vary in jurisdictions with assisted dying laws. See medical assistance in dying (MAID).

A person legally appointed to carry out the instructions in a will and manage an estate after death.

The arrangements made for a person’s body after death, such as burial, cremation, or other methods.

A person legally appointed to make financial decisions on someone else’s behalf if they lose capacity. Responsibilities may include managing banking, property, bills, taxes, or investments. This role is separate from a Power of Attorney for Personal Care, though the same person may hold both roles. Terms and responsibilities differ across provinces and territories.

A medical term used to describe a person’s loss of reserves — including energy, physical ability, cognition, and health — that gives rise to vulnerability. Health care providers use the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), a clinical tool that assesses a person’s level of frailty and overall fitness or vulnerability on a numbered scale.

A legal criterion in Canada for medical assistance in dying (MAID). A person has a grievous and irremediable medical condition if they have a serious illness, disease, or disability, are in an advanced state of decline that cannot be reversed, and experience unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be relieved under conditions that the person considers acceptable.

See Substitute Decision-Maker.

On this website, the term health care provider is used to refer to nurse practitioners, physicians, and other providers of care within the Canadian public health care system.

A facility providing health care for the sick or terminally ill, and support for loved ones.

An individual who confirms the signing and dating of the MAID request. They must be at least 18 years of age, understand what it means to request MAID, and not benefit from the person’s death in any way.

The voluntary decision a patient makes after understanding treatment options, risks, and benefits.

When an institution denies, blocks, or impedes a person’s legal right to health care, including medical assistance in dying (MAID), on religious grounds. IROs can include forced transfers from the institution, as well as refusing to provide information about MAID upon request, not allowing MAID assessments on-site, and/or denying admission to hospice or palliative care because the patient wishes to access MAID at a later point. Learn more about Dying With Dignity Canada's efforts to end institutional religious obstructions. An IRO is specific to the building and does not refer to an individual clinician. See also: conscientious objection.

An illness, disease, or condition that cannot be cured and is expected to shorten a person’s life. A life-limiting illness may progress over time and can affect a person’s physical, emotional, social, and practical well-being.

Treatment that helps keep a person alive when essential bodily functions are failing. This can include treatments such as mechanical ventilation, dialysis, tube feeding, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). These measures may be used temporarily for a treatable condition until the patient is stabilized. Some forms of life-sustaining treatment are referred to as life support.

See life-sustaining treatment.

See advance directive.

See medical assistance in dying.

See Substitute Decision-Maker.

A legal and medical principle in Canada that allows those under the age of 18 who are considered mature enough to make their own health care decisions. A health care provider assesses whether the young person understands the nature, risks, benefits, and consequences of a treatment decision. Rules vary by province and territory. Mature minors are not currently eligible for medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada.

The term used in Canada when, after eligibility criteria are met and the person has made a clear request and given informed consent, a nurse practitioner or physician prescribes and/or administers medication that intentionally causes death. In Canada, the acronym MAID is often pronounced as a word. Related terms used around the world include aid-in-dying, physician-assisted dying (PAD), voluntary assisted dying (VAD), euthanasia and assisted suicide, among others. Terminology, eligibility criteria, and medical processes vary by jurisdiction.

Conditions that are primarily within the domain of psychiatry, such as depression and personality disorders.

A term used in Canada’s MAID legislation and policy discussions to describe situations where a person’s only medical condition is a mental illness, without a co-existing physical illness or disability forming the basis for eligibility. The question of whether MAID should be available in these cases has been the subject of ongoing public and political debate in Canada. As of May 2026, people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness are not eligible for MAID.

Currently, individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness are not eligible to apply for MAID, and won't be until March 17, 2027. This date is currently under review. Visit Dying With Dignity Canada to learn more about advocacy in this area.

A general term that describes decreased mental function due to a medical disease other than a psychiatric illness. This includes conditions such as dementia, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s.

A registered nurse with additional education and clinical training who is licensed in Canada to diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, perform medical procedures, and provide medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada.

A method of receiving medical assistance in dying in which the person drinks a prescribed lethal compound rather than receiving medication intravenously. The vast majority of MAID deaths in Canada are administered intravenously, as intravenous medication acts more predictably and quickly than oral, particularly for people who are seriously ill.

Care that aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of life for someone living with a life-limiting illness, as well as their families. It addresses the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and practical issues associated with illness. It is often provided in a hospital or hospice setting but can also be provided at home, and may be given alongside medical treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation.

The administration, by a clinician, of drugs to lower a patient’s level of consciousness and relieve intolerable symptoms. Palliative sedation can only be used after consent from you or your Substitute Decision-Maker, although it is your health care provider who determines eligibility for palliative sedation.

Someone who assists a patient in navigating the health care system. Sometimes called a support person. This is not a legal role, nor is it the same as a Substitute Decision-Maker, although a Substitute Decision-Maker may also act as a patient advocate.

A paid care provider who assists people with daily living and personal care needs. This may include help with bathing, dressing, eating, mobility, companionship, and household tasks in homes, hospitals, long-term care homes, or other care settings.

A medical doctor who is licensed in Canada to diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, perform medical procedures, and provide medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada.

There are many terms used around the globe for medical assistance in dying – the term we use in Canada. Terms vary in jurisdictions with assisted dying laws. See medical assistance in dying (MAID).

Used in the context of medical assistance in dying, the process through which a nurse practitioner or physician assists an individual, at their request, to intentionally end their life with the administration of medication.

See Substitute Decision-Maker.

See Power of Attorney.

A person who is legally appointed to speak on your behalf if you lose capacity. This authority is usually set out in a witnessed document that names the person and outlines their responsibilities. Terms and responsibilities differ across the provinces/territories. Also sometimes called Personal Power of Attorney or Power of Attorney for Personal Care. Different from a Substitute Decision-Maker.

See Power of Attorney.

A concept used in Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) law to describe a situation where a person’s natural death is expected in the not-too-distant future, based on their overall medical circumstances. There is no specific timeline or prognosis required. Whether a person’s natural death is considered reasonably foreseeable is assessed by MAID providers and affects which procedural safeguards apply under the law. See Track 1 and Track 2.

See Substitute Decision-Maker.

In Canada, a nurse practitioner or physician can give or prescribe to a patient a substance that they can self-administer to cause their own death. This situation is rare, and terms vary in jurisdictions with assisted dying laws. See also Oral MAID.

Someone you appoint to make decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity to make decisions about your own personal care and/or finances. Terms and responsibilities differ across provinces and territories. Depending on the jurisdiction, this role may also be called a delegate, agent, guardian, mandatary, proxy, or representative.

Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. Different from medical assistance in dying (MAID).

See patient advocate. Different from a caregiver.

A medical condition which cannot be cured and has progressed to the point where death may be expected within weeks or months.

The set of procedural safeguards for medical assistance in dying (MAID) that a person whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable must undergo. Safeguards differ for Tracks 1 and 2.

The set of procedural safeguards for medical assistance in dying (MAID) that a person whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable must undergo. Safeguards differ for Tracks 1 and 2.

There are many terms used around the globe for medical assistance in dying – the term we use in Canada. Terms vary in jurisdictions with assisted dying laws. See medical assistance in dying (MAID).

Refusal or stopping of oral or tube delivered nutrition or hydration.

Refuse or stopping care, which includes health care, to prevent or cure illness. 

A written agreement between a patient and their MAID provider that allows someone who has already been assessed and approved for medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Track 1 to receive it on or before their chosen date in the event that they lose capacity and cannot consent at the time of the MAID procedure. Different from advance consent and advance request.

See advance directive.