Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Health Fair – San Diego

Wednesday, November 1, 9 AM-2 PM, Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Health Fair

Be sure to visit the End of Life Choices California (EOLCCA) information booth at this health fair.  EOLCCA Founding Director Lynne Calkins and End of Life Doula Sharon Harris will be on-hand to answer any questions you might have regarding advance planning and end of life options. Admission is a $10 gift card or cash.


End of Life Choices CaliforniaEnd of Life Choices California’s mission is to provide Californians the information and support to successfully navigate their legal end-of-life options.  Relevant topics include Advance Care Planning; the California End of Life Option Act (EOLA); eligibility requirements for Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD); and Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)–a legal option in all 50 states. Our volunteers are very knowledgeable about both hospice and palliative care and can explain the differences between the two services.

Be sure to check our Resources page for Q/A; information on books, films, and organizations; sign up for our blog; see upcoming events; and so much more.  To request a speaker for your group or organization, click here.

 

 

New Report on Medical Aid in Dying in California

We are pleased to share with you the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) newly published 2022 Data Report on the use of the state’s End of Life Option Act (ELOA).  The report reflects several key changes that went into effect on January 1, 2022 (via Senate Bill 380) that made the law more patient-friendly in allowing physicians to prescribe medical aid in dying (MAiD) for their terminally ill patients who are eligible under the law. 

One critical provision that went into effect shortened the waiting period from 15 to 2 days (48 hours) between the two oral requests required of the patient to their physician for a MAiD prescription. EOLCCA strongly supported this modification as many terminally-ill individuals who wished to use MAiD endured unnecessary suffering that the law (originally passed in 2016) was specifically intended to alleviate. In this new report, we are gratified to learn that:

“Out of the 1,204 individuals who started the end-of-life option process in 2022 and received a prescription during 2022, 947 individuals, or 78.7 percent, waited less than 15 days between the two verbal requests.”  

Almost 50 percent increase

Equally important to EOLCCA is the fact that the number of people who obtained a MAiD prescription increased by almost 50% compared to 2021. Universal knowledge that California has this law is a critical missing element that persists as a major roadblock for those who might request medical aid in dying. 

Too many people who might qualify remain woefully uninformed about the possibility of MAiD at key health care decision points in their end-stage terminal illnesses.

One of EOLCCA’s primary objectives is to continue to reverse that trend through comprehensive targeted education programs about the ELOA to hospices, medical practices, diverse local community organizations, houses of worship, and retirement communities. This year alone, our Speakers Bureau has already provided 42 educational presentations around the state. Please visit our Speakers Bureau webpage to learn more about this program.

volunteer at bedside
More good data

Several other data points of the report include: 

  • The vast majority (over 95%) of those who used MAiD in 2022 were receiving hospice and/or palliative care.
  • Those who utilized MAiD were numerically more white and had completed more education than the state’s diverse population. This is an area of extreme importance to EOLCCA as we work to expand our outreach and education efforts. 
  • About one-third of the people who receive a prescription never use it. 

To this last topic, anecdotal evidence we’ve accumulated through our counseling of scores of patients, indicates to us that having the prescription in hand has its own palliative effect, giving a measure of comfort and control to the patient. As a result, their anxiety goes down, their pain level goes down, and they are more able to relax into their dying process and never feel the need to take the medication. What a wonderful gift for people to have. 

I encourage you to read the report for yourself. It discusses in much more detail what peoples’ diagnoses were, their demographics and many other interesting factors. The report can be accessed here.

The report also showed that 84.5 percent of those who utilized MAiD in 2022 informed their family of their decision. In keeping with August designated as National Make A Will month, if you need assistance in preparing your own Advance Care plans, to better inform yourself or facilitate end-of-life discussions with your loved ones, please contact us.

In conclusion, while the results of this report show some encouraging advances, there is still much more work to be done. If you wish to inform, educate and help more terminally ill people access a peaceful death on their terms, please learn morevolunteer, or consider supporting our work by making a donation here

Alternative End of Life Workshop

Thursday, October 26, 9-11:30 AM: Alternative End of Life Options

Be sure to visit the End of Life California (EOLCCA) information booth at this workshop sponsored by St. Paul’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a managed health care plan exclusively for seniors. ELOCCA Founding Director Lynne Calkins and client volunteer Judy Schnack will be on-hand to answer any questions you might have regarding advance planning and end of life options. This event will be hosted at St. Paul’s Plaza in Chula Vista.

Point of contact for this event is Erin Clements, Outreach Specialist, St. Paul’s PACE, 619-621-3369.


End of Life Choices CaliforniaEnd of Life Choices California’s mission is to provide Californians the information and support to successfully navigate their legal end-of-life options.  Relevant topics include Advance Care Planning; the California End of Life Option Act (EOLA); eligibility requirements for Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD); and Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)–a legal option in all 50 states. Our volunteers are very knowledgeable about both hospice and palliative care and can explain the differences between the two services.

Be sure to check our Resources page for Q/A; information on books, films, and organizations; sign up for our blog; see upcoming events; and so much more.  To request a speaker for your group or organization, click here.

 

Delta Health Hospice

Tuesday, August 22, 2003, 10 AM. This Zoom presentation is for the medical and social work staff of Delta Health Hospice.

Founding Director Lynne Calkins, End of Life California (EOLCCA), will review with medical and social work staff the requirements and processes of Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD), to include suggested helpful language to assist clients in understanding their options and exploring their values.  In addition,  the extensive information and support EOLCCA can provide to their clients will be reviewed.

For more information contact: Lynne Calkins, LCalkins@endoflifechoicesca.org


End of Life Choices CaliforniaEnd of Life Choices California’s mission is to provide Californians the information and support to successfully navigate their legal end-of-life options.  Relevant topics include Advance Care Planning; the California End of Life Option Act (EOLA); eligibility requirements for Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD); and Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)–a legal option in all 50 states. Our volunteers are very knowledgeable about both hospice and palliative care and can explain the differences between the two services.

Be sure to check our Resources page for Q/A; information on books, films, and organizations; sign up for our blog; see upcoming events; and so much more.  To request a speaker for your group or organization, click here.

 

Zoom In-Service for Seva Hospice

Topics:   The California End of Life Option Act and medical aid in dying, and all end of life options.

Seva Hospice service area includes the communities in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Tulare, and Kings Counties in California.
For more information, please contact Jarah King, RN, Jarah@sevahospice.com

End of Life Choices California Speakers:

Lynne Calkins
Judith Bishop
Rita Casey
Susan Gess
Fran Mooreland Johns