Medical Assistance in Dying committee  The vast majority of people want to continue living until the very end because they know that we will be there, that we are there to reassure them and that we will know how to ease their pain during the care journey up until the end. I would like to state as well that because we are not lacking nurses and doctors, the patients that are being accompanied do not feel abandoned by the health care system.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  No, quite the contrary. I'm sorry, I must have not expressed myself clearly. When palliative care is good, approximately 96% of patients do not request MAID. I said 96%, not 100%.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  No. As I said in my presentation, caregivers play an active role. This means that hospital-based doctors may not be comfortable with home care if they do not have a framework and are not supervised. Caregivers are given the responsibility of administering opiates by injection, giving medication and checking vital signs.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Thank you for that excellent question. As a practitioner of family medicine, you can have an enhanced practice. You don't have to go back to medical school, but rather undertake a two to three month-long practicum, and then be supervised by your peers, i.e., doctors who do this type of work, for a three-month period.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Thank you for that fantastic question. In Quebec, we have local community service centres, called CLSC. They are wonderful places, which offer excellent home care. They have nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists on staff. Every category of health professionals is represented, apart from doctors.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  As I just said, the problem is that there are no doctors in the CLSCs.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  No, not at all.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Yes, absolutely. I really liked Dr. Downar's comment when he explained that actually, palliative care constitutes an improved practice in all care settings, not only at home. Not all family doctors, such as pediatricians, for example, can say that they are experts in palliative care, especially in a home setting.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Yes.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  That's correct. In English-speaking Canada, Nova is a well-known organization because it is now a distinct subsidiary of the Victorian Order of Nurses, the VON, whose wonderful community nurses support the public health care system's home care nurses. The VON is already present in almost all of the English-speaking provinces in Canada.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Nova Home Care is already working with 19 CLSCs in the Greater Montreal region. There are other nursing groups, such as the Palliative Home-Care Society of Greater Montreal, in the eastern part of Montreal. Unfortunately, these expert nursing groups do not offer their services in many regions in Quebec because they do not all enjoy the same accreditation or subsidies for the important work that they do.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Yes, absolutely. They are two completely different entities. You're right.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Hello.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  In Quebec.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Yes.