MAID: Myth or Fact? Quiz

Review your answers

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Here are a few areas you may want to explore further:

Now that you’ve tested your knowledge, take some time to deepen your understanding of how MAID works in Canada. 

Learn more about Dying With Dignity Canada, the organization behind WeCanChoose.ca

A person who wants MAID has to meet specific legal criteria to be approved for it.

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This is a fact.

Eligibility is based on factors such as a serious and incurable condition, ongoing suffering, decision-making capacity, and a voluntary request.

You have to have a terminal illness to be eligible for MAID. 

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This is a myth.

Having a terminal illness is not an eligibility requirement for MAID. 

One of the criteria for MAID is having a condition considered “grievous and irremediable”. This means the person must have a serious and incurable condition, be in an advanced and irreversible state of decline, and experience intolerable suffering that cannot be relieved in a way they find acceptable.

People who are poor, disabled or otherwise marginalized are more likely to receive MAID because of those factors.

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This is a myth.

MAID eligibility is based on legally defined criteria, not social or economic status. National reporting data does not show that marginalized people are overrepresented among those who receive MAID. 

Any health care provider is allowed to offer MAID to anyone at any time.

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This is a myth.

Health care providers – which can include, in most provinces and territories, nurse practitioners, physicians, social workers, and therapists– can discuss MAID in the context of end-of-life planning. To be considered eligible for MAID, a person must provide voluntary and informed consent, which cannot be done unless the person has received all the information necessary to make this decision.  Importantly, discussing MAID is not the same as recommending or directing someone toward it. 

People can come to Canada to get MAID.

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This is a myth.

MAID is only available to people who are eligible for publicly funded health care in Canada. This means individuals cannot travel to Canada solely to access MAID. Eligibility is tied to residency and health coverage, along with the required medical and legal criteria. 

Anyone who wants to end their life can choose MAID.

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This is a myth.

A person cannot access MAID simply because they want to end their life. MAID is only available to eligible adults who meet legally defined criteria. It involves two assessments by independent health care providers, informed consent, and built-in safeguards.

Providers consider decision-making capacity and voluntariness throughout the process. If there are signs of a crisis, acute distress, or a new or worsening mental disorder, treatment and supports are offered and the assessment is paused.

If you are struggling, in crisis, or in need of additional support, help is available. Call or text 9-8-8 anytime to connect with a trained responder who can listen and support you.

MAID providers are regulated by professional colleges and can lose their medical licenses if they don’t follow standards of care.

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This is a fact.

Clinicians who assess or provide MAID are governed by laws, policies, and their professional colleges. They are required to follow established standards of practice and are accountable for their decisions and conduct. Failing to follow professional standards or MAID legislation can lead to discipline or criminal prosecution.

People can be given MAID even if they didn’t ask for it.

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This is a myth.

MAID cannot be provided without an explicit voluntary request. To be eligible, the person must be assessed and approved by two independent nurse practitioners or physicians, have decision-making capacity, and provide informed consent with limited exceptions.  

You can’t get MAID if you have dementia.

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This is a myth.

Having dementia does not automatically make someone ineligible for MAID. However, the person must have decision-making capacity at the time of the request and during their assessments. Because dementia can affect capacity over time, this can make access more complex.

MAID causes a painful or distressing death that feels like drowning.

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This is a myth.

The medications used in MAID are the same types of medications used in other medical and surgical situations. Given in a specific sequence at appropriate dosages, they work quickly to relax the person, induce a coma-like sleep, then stop their breathing. Death usually occurs within minutes. MAID does not cause fluid to build up in the lungs or any physical process similar to drowning.

MAID is used as a way to reduce health care costs in Canada.

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This is a myth.

MAID eligibility is based on a person’s medical condition, their experience of suffering, and their informed, voluntary request. Safeguards are in place to ensure decisions are made based on individual circumstances, not cost considerations.

Minors can’t get MAID in Canada.

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This is a fact.

In Canada, MAID is only available to adults who are 18 years of age or older. Individuals must also have decision-making capacity and meet all other eligibility criteria. Access for minors is not permitted under current federal law. Some organizations, including Dying With Dignity Canada, advocate for allowing access in limited circumstances for mature minors. They note that in many parts of Canada, some minors already have the legal right to accept or refuse medical treatment that may prolong their life.