The federal government is drafting legislation that would allow individuals to make advance requests for medical assistance in dying (MAID). Provinces are expressing disagreement over the consent standards that should apply to people living with dementia.
The proposed bill, being prepared in Toronto, seeks to formalise advance consent procedures, but provincial health officials say the definition of valid consent for dementia patients remains unsettled. Dementia doctors have highlighted the complexity of assessing consent capacity, adding to the intergovernmental debate.
The disagreement centers on how to determine whether a person with dementia can legally authorize a future MAID request, a point that could shape the final form of the legislation.