Dementia patient killed without consent by 'assisted dying' upon family's request

An elderly woman with dementia was reportedly killed through euthanasia at the request of her family, despite the fact that she never gave consent.

Key Takeaways:

• Canada legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia in 2016, and it has rapidly expanded since then.

• Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) has since become the fifth leading cause of death in Canada.

• In a disturbing example of Canada's willingness to kill the sick and disabled, a woman with dementia has now been euthanized — not due to her own request, but due to her family's wishes.

The Details:

A dementia patient was killed utilizing Canada’s “Medical Assistance in Dying” (MAiD) framework at the request of the patient's family.

According to a 2025 report issued by the Canadian Office of the Chief Coroner and Ministry of the Solicitor General, MAiD Death Review Committee, six case studies of euthanasia deserved special attention from 2023 and 2024. One of them involved an elderly patient, “Mrs. 6F,” who had “moderately advanced” dementia.  

After several falls, Mrs. 6F, a woman in her late 80s, was admitted to the hospital. During her transfer to a complex care facility, she reportedly expressed a "wish to die," which was interpreted by a member of her family, and communicated to hospital staff as a request for MAiD. 

The family was informed that due to their elderly relative’s cognitive status, it would be difficult to obtain true consent for MAiD, and a “navigator” determined that Mrs. 6F was unable to give consent; therefore, it was "not appropriate for them to proceed." A second MAID “navigator” determined that, after talking to Mrs. 6F and explaining all of her options, she did not want MAiD; instead, she continued her transfer to a long-term health facility.  

Zoom In:

Four months after entering long-term care, another MAiD request for Mrs. 6F was initiated by a family member. 

The Chief Coroner's report highlighted that efforts were made to communicate the MAiD process to Mrs. 6F, but that a thorough cognitive analysis was not documented in her files.  Also, efforts to obtain written consent failed, and "no direct quotations from Mrs. 6F were included in the documentation to substantiate the eligibility determination."

Mrs. 6F was scheduled for MAiD a week later, and during the procedure, the patient became agitated and people were removed from her room. After a “repeating [of] the consent questions” by the confused woman and squeezing a provider’s hand, Mrs. 6F was euthanized.

Mrs. 6F’s experience has been used as a case study to assess whether proper consent is being obtained from persons with advanced dementia in Canada. 

According to a blog maintained by Alex Schadenberg, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition International Chair, there is debate as to whether repeated questioning of a person with advanced dementia can possibly communicate an authentic choice, “particularly without supporting documentation of a person’s cognitive capabilities and decision-making."

The Bottom Line:

Since 2016, MAiD has become the fifth leading cause of death in Canada, accounting for 1 in every 5 deaths. Last year, Live Action News highlighted a report that revealed hundreds of MAiD deaths actually violated Canadian laws.