Palliative and end-of-life care

Palliative care offers a full range of care and services for people with a terminal illness. It alleviates pain, increases the person’s comfort and provides relief from other physical symptoms. Palliative care also includes psychological support and spiritual guidance, as well as support for families and loved ones.

In the eight MRCs in Bas-Saint-Laurent, the care is organized and delivered by an interdisciplinary team that includes nurses, doctors, social workers, as well as rehabilitation and spiritual care providers. Anticipated palliate care and services are strongly recommended and should be proposed based on each person’s needs, whether or not the person is still receiving curative care.
 

How to obtain supportive care and palliative care

Talk to your doctor who will send a referral to the interdisciplinary team in your region. You can also contact intake, analysis, guidance and referral services (AAOR)

In accordance with the Act respecting end-of-life care, the CISSS du Bas-Saint-Laurent’s vision of care and services is rooted in collaboration. During end-of-life care, home support teams as well as teams in hospitals and residential resources work closely with palliative care homes in Bas-Saint-Laurent and other teams that offer palliative care housing. This collaboration ensure access to quality care and services for all situations, across all the MRCs in the region.

Our policy is to ensure that every person can live the final stage of their life with the utmost respect for their wishes, independent decisions and dignity. In addition to recognizing advanced medical directives (AMDs), the care and services include access to:

Our care and services are also offered to families and loved ones, during all stages of the illness and bereavement. Our support workers collaborate with volunteers and community organizations.

 

Tools and resources for the person at end of life and their loved ones 

 

Medical aid in dying (contemporaneous request)

 

What is medical aid in dying (MAID)?

In Québec, this is care provided by a competent professional, either a doctor or a specialized nurse practitioner (SNP). It involves administering medication to a person, at their request, to relieve their suffering by hastening death. This care is offered in all institutions within the health and social services network, in palliative care homes and in the person’s home. 

Medical aid in dying (MAID) is an exceptional intervention that comes with specific conditions. Recourse to medical aid in dying is strictly governed and defined by law. 

 

Who can receive MAID?

Only a person who meets all of the conditions set out by law can receive medical aid in dying following a contemporaneous request (at the same time or shortly before the procedure is performed).

To learn more about these conditions, consult the Québec government’s website.

 

How to make a request 

If you’re in a situation that is causing you suffering, don’t hesitate to consult with a health and social services professional for support. Contact 811 if you don’t have access to a professional.

 

What should you expect?

You can withdraw your request for medical aid in dying at any time.

  1. Request for information
    Il s’agit de demander de l’information sur l’aide médicale à mourir à un membre du personnel soignant (médecin, personnel infirmier, travailleur ou travailleuse social, travailleur social ou la travailleuse sociale, etc.)  Cette étape vise à vous informer et ne vous engage en rien.
     
  2. Written request
    If you decide to make an official request, you must use a specific form. The person must make the request in a free and informed manner, which means:   
    - without pressure from loved ones or a professional;
    - having obtained all the information needed to make your decision.
     
  3. Assessment by a competent professional 
    Two doctors or an SNP will evaluate the request according to eligibility criteria set out in the Act respecting end-of-life and the Criminal Code.
     
  4. Approval of the request 
    Once the request for medical aid in dying has been accepted, the competent professional or care staff will confirm that you wish to proceed. If so, they will plan with you: the date and approximate time, the location, a list of rituals you would like, your last wishes, etc. 
     
  5. When the time comes 
    On the day of the procedure, the doctor or SNP will ask you one last time if you still want medical aid in dying. With your consent and once they confirm that you’re ready, the medication will be administered.

Support workers will be with you throughout the process. Your loved ones can stay at your bedside as long as they wish.

To find out more

 

Advanced request for medical aid in dying

Just like contemporaneous MAID requests, advance requests are governed by several rules.

Are you eligible and how do you make a request?

An advance request can only be made by a person who has been diagnosed with a serious and incurable illness resulting in their incapacity to give consent to care (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease). Therefore, a person cannot make a request in the event that they may one day receive such a diagnosis.

There is no form for making an advance request. To start the process, you must make an appointment with a competent professional (doctor or SNP). Contact 811 if you don’t have access to a health professional. 

When a person makes a request, they must be of adult age and be covered under the Health Insurance Act. They must also be capable of consenting to care, which means being able to fully understand their medical situation and the information provided, to decide what it best for them and to clearly express their wishes.

This request must be made freely, without any external pressure. It must also be informed, which means that the person making the request knows, among other things, what the procedure involves and that other care exists. The person must make the request themselves and for themselves.

It’s important to understand that even a legally valid advance request will not automatically result in the administration of MAID.

To find out more 

 

List of locations that offer palliative care housing in Bas-Saint-Laurent

People in end-of-life care can also receive housing services in certain CISSS du Bas-Saint-Laurent facilities as well as a place in a palliative home.

To be eligible for a place with the CISSS du Bas-Saint-Laurent, the person must have a prognosis of less than 8 weeks. The treating doctor or staff member who is providing care will be responsible for submitting the admission request to the housing access mechanisms.

Admission requests for a palliative care home must be submitted directly to the coordinating services of the Maison Desjardins de soins palliatifs du KRTB or the Maison Marie-Élisabeth in Rimouski.

Kamouraska

Rivière-du-Loup   

Témiscouata

Basques

Rimouski-Neigette

La Mitis    

La Matanie 

La Matapédia