Andr茅e McGrath is living 香蕉视频直播渁 really wonderful life.香蕉视频直播�

She and her husband of 49 years, Rick McGrath, live in Kanata, Ont., where they golf, take walks and laugh loudly and often. They travel south for the winter and adore their two grown-up sons.

After the 68-year-old was diagnosed with Alzheimer香蕉视频直播檚 disease about a year ago, she cried.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot, a lot, a lot 香蕉视频直播� I cried,香蕉视频直播� McGrath said in a phone interview, choking up.

香蕉视频直播淚 have a wonderful marriage and I frankly wish I had, you know, 20 years of good health, 20 more years to enjoy it,香蕉视频直播� she said.

McGrath is determined to keep doing the things she loves. When the time comes that she can香蕉视频直播檛, she said, she wants a medically assisted death.

香蕉视频直播滻 am so in favour of MAID. We香蕉视频直播檝e already talked to our family doctor about it and he said, 香蕉视频直播榳ell, we香蕉视频直播檙e not there yet.香蕉视频直播� So he knows that his hands are tied,香蕉视频直播� she said.

As of Wednesday, people with dementia in Quebec are allowed to make advance requests for MAID, before they lose the capacity to provide informed consent. But such requests are still illegal under the Criminal Code.

香蕉视频直播淚f we could do that in Ontario, I香蕉视频直播檒l probably be one of the first ones to line up and sign it,香蕉视频直播� McGrath said.

After caring for her mother and grandparents in the late stages of Alzheimer香蕉视频直播檚 disease years ago and watching them forget who she was, McGrath is determined not to let her own dementia progress that far.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 really heartbreaking,香蕉视频直播� she said.

The federal government has said it still needs to do more consultations, which will start in November, before making a decision about advance MAID requests in the rest of the country.

The Alzheimer Society says people with dementia should have the right to request medical assistance in dying in advance 香蕉视频直播� but it must not be a replacement for high-quality palliative care.

香蕉视频直播淧eople with a diagnosis of dementia deserve the same rights as everyone else. So if MAID is a legal end of life option for people, then we believe that it should be accessible to people with dementia,香蕉视频直播� said Cathy Barrick, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, in an interview.

But it香蕉视频直播檚 important to make sure patients also have the option to receive dementia-specific, comprehensive palliative care that would provide the best quality of life possible, she said.

香蕉视频直播滺aving a choice between sort of feeling like you香蕉视频直播檙e going to languish and be neglected (in a long-term care home) 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 really no choice at all,香蕉视频直播� Barrick said.

香蕉视频直播淲e wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 want people to make a decision to end their life prematurely out of fear of what might happen. So obviously a lot of our advocacy is around making sure that people have options available to them at end of life.香蕉视频直播�

The challenge with Alzheimer香蕉视频直播檚 disease and other forms of dementia is that it香蕉视频直播檚 hard for someone to predict how they will feel at a later point in time as their disease progresses, Barrick said.

In signing an advance request for MAID, patients would need to communicate multiple specific circumstances that would have to happen in order for them to have MAID in the future, such as not being able to recognize family members and being unable to communicate.

香蕉视频直播漈he first and the most important thing is for them to make their wishes known and they need to be abundantly clear about what those wishes are,香蕉视频直播� said Barrick.

香蕉视频直播淚t needs to be extremely specific, you know, not something vague of like, 香蕉视频直播榳ell, if it seems like I香蕉视频直播檓 suffering, you know, do it then,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� she said.

Dr. Samir Sinha, geriatrician and clinician scientist with Sinai Health System and University Health Network in Toronto, said it香蕉视频直播檚 critical to have a family member or friend to serve as an advocate to ensure their loved one香蕉视频直播檚 wishes are carried out in the spirit they were intended.

香蕉视频直播漎ou might say, 香蕉视频直播榠f I end up in a state where I cannot recognize my own family members, I would consider that intolerable suffering. So I would want someone to end my life at that point,香蕉视频直播� said Sinha, who served on a federal subcommittee looking at the issue of advance requests for MAID.

But three or four years later, the patient might be at the point where they don香蕉视频直播檛 recognize their family members, yet 香蕉视频直播測ou go in to see the person and, you know, there they are smiling and happy to see you. They don香蕉视频直播檛 know who you are, but they seem to be content. They seem to be happy,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淎nd then the question is, what do you do then?香蕉视频直播�

Among the several conditions that have to be met in order for a person to obtain medical assistance in dying following an advance request in Quebec is that the person is 香蕉视频直播渆xhibiting, on a recurring basis, the clinical manifestations related to their illness and described in their request,香蕉视频直播� and that a physician or specialized nurse practitioner has cause to believe 香蕉视频直播渢he person is experiencing enduring and unbearable physical or psychological suffering,香蕉视频直播� the province香蕉视频直播檚 website says.

It香蕉视频直播檚 also important that advance requests for MAID 香蕉视频直播渁re not considered kind of a 香蕉视频直播榦ne and done香蕉视频直播� thing,香蕉视频直播� Sinha said.

When people are first diagnosed, it香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渁bsolutely devastating,香蕉视频直播� he said, and they may have very specific ideas of what circumstances they don香蕉视频直播檛 want to live with down the road.

But 香蕉视频直播渄ementia is a journey that can carry on for years,香蕉视频直播� Sinha said.

香蕉视频直播淐are needs and preferences will evolve with time,香蕉视频直播� and patients should regularly revisit their advance requests with their caregivers to ensure the condition under which they would want MAID are still the same, he added.

Barrick emphasized that a diagnosis of Alzheimer香蕉视频直播檚 disease or other forms of dementia 香蕉视频直播渋s not the end,香蕉视频直播� noting that although everyone is different, people generally live five to seven years after learning they have it.

香蕉视频直播淔or most people, most of that time can be quite positive,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淧eople go on to continue on with their life. Some people can continue to work, travel, socialize 香蕉视频直播� all the things (that)have meaningful engagement in their life.香蕉视频直播�

Having MAID as an option for when they deteriorate can actually provide reassurance and removes a worry that allows some people with dementia to live their lives as well as possible, Barrick said.