By Esther Ashby-Coventry.
Anyone seeking assisted dying will not be allowed to undertake the procedure on site at Hospice South Canterbury or Highfield LifeCare in Timaru.
The End of Life Choice Act came into effect on November 7 for terminally ill people, who fit certain criteria, and want to use taxpayer funded medical assistance to end their life prematurely. Within the first 10 days of the Act being in force, two people made formal applications to enact it.
Hospice South Canterbury general manager Peter O’Neill said the procedure is not allowed to take place in the hospice unit though required personnel are allowed into the unit to discuss with a patient their options before discharge to their chosen place of death.
O’Neill said whatever a patient’s decision was, the hospice would continue to provide expert and compassionate palliative care to them.
“We believe though that the law accentuates the importance of skilful attention to our patients’ suffering, and we will continue to strive to minimise suffering be it physical, emotional, spiritual, social or psychological. We will also continue to support families and whānau, before and after a patient’s death.”
O’Neill said he respected that a range of views for and against the Act may be reflected within hospice’s own staff, volunteers, supporters and sponsors.
“The reality though is that the Act is now in play, and regardless of it, our aim as always will be to provide the best possible palliative care for as long as a patient is in our charge, and that they have full access to all of our services during their journey.”
Like hospice, Heritage Lifecare which has 39 homes throughout the country including Highfield, in TImaru, will not allow the procedure in its elderly care homes, general manager of operations Brigid London said.
The vision of the elderly care facility is about a ‘better every day’ by providing the very best in care and wellbeing to help individuals live their best life.
Despite their stand on medically assisted death, information is provided to residents, London said.
“Our policy is not to have assisted dying in our homes. They can transfer to another home, and we will help them find somewhere and someone to support them,” London said.
Presbyterian Support South Canterbury, which runs The Croft and Margaret Wilson Home, in Timaru, and Wallingford Home, in Temuka, has a different take on the matter with a policy allowing the Act to be enacted in the organisation’s homes, chief executive Carolyn Cooper said.
“Presbyterian Support South Canterbury (PSSC) is a faith-based organisation, whose heritage is one of empathy, caring, and providing a home-like environment where the resident is the centre of all decision-making.
“PSSC does not support the End of Life Choice Act, however PSSC will respect our resident/clients’ choice to exercise their rights under the End of Life Choice Act. PSSC will not be involved in the act of assisted dying.
“PSSC understands that the end of life principle, and what it seeks, is against Māori cultural values and ethos.
“If a client of PSSC wishes to take up the options under the Act, we will refer and support them to access a person or organisation who can provide that service. Such referrals will be made without judgement and with sensitivity, as we respect an individual’s right to choose.
“PSSC recognises that when people choose to come into one of their three Enliven care homes the home in effect becomes that person’s home. PSSC recognises that a person has the right to die in their home.
“PSSC Enliven Homes will continue to be places where older people can live in a safe, caring environment, and where compassionate, high quality palliative care is available for those who have reached the final stage of life.”
Glenwood Home facility manager Veronica Ligteringen refused to talk about the elderly care home’s policy on the act.
“It’s not a public matter,” she said.
Radius Care Elloughton Gardens spokesman Fred Russo said Radius did not wish to comment on the matter.
Strathallan Lifecare was approached for comment but is yet to respond.
Prior to the Act being implemented, South Canterbury District Health Board Primary Health Partnerships and Allied Health director Ruth Kibble said the new service would in most cases be delivered in the community or in the person’s home, but that there would be provision for the service to be delivered in the hospital if required.
The Ministry of Health states that a public hospital environment would be a last resort for assisted dying to take place.
The new end of life health service will cost the taxpayer. In the New Zealand Gazette of October 4, 2021, The Assisted Dying Services Notice 2021 lays out payments for those health practitioners who provide assisted dying services. An attending medical practitioner will get a standard payment of $724.80 and for complex cases an additional $483.20 if they spend more than three hours. An independent medical practitioner will receive a standard payment of $604.00 and a psychiatrist will be paid $1,544.16. If the practitioner travels more than 20kms return for the patient then they can claim a travel allowance.