MAID Chosen by CO-AGE
Advocacy on Behalf of Georgians
We believe that in the event of terminal illness, each person should have the right to choose the time and manner of their death. The goal of our advocacy is to ensure that patients’ rights and choices are respected, including decisions related to pain management and advance directive options. We will advocate for laws and policies which ensure transparency from our medical institutions, and increase disciplinary action and fines for physicians who fail to honor patient’s end of life decisions and wishes.
We also believe that death does not have to mean suffering. In cases of prolonged illness where pain cannot be managed by palliative care, we believe that Georgians should have the option to end their lives in a manner which alleviates their suffering and brings them comfort and peace. Towards that end, we will also advocate for laws and policies which expand options for Georgians for end of life decision making, including an option for medical aid in dying (MAiD).
It is both timely and necessary for the Georgia General Assembly to take up consideration of whether a competent adult with a terminal illness should have the right to die on their own terms and have access to a legal option for MAiD in Georgia. As a first step, we will ask the Georgia General Assembly to establish a study committee to consider this issue, and also make recommendations for strengthening our existing advanced care planning laws in Georgia. Improving and expanding our laws will help ensure that patients’ rights are not infringed, that their directives will be followed, and their wishes will be respected.
As the movement to expand end of life options in the United States grows, and as the number of states which have passed MAiD legislation grows, national legislation which encodes the right to MAiD as a constitutional right is surely on the horizon. We believe that now is the time for Georgia to examine this issue and determine what choices Georgians want for themselves for the end of their lives.
Contacting Your Legislators
The sample letter below is provided to show the correct format for addressing your members of the Georgia General Assembly. It is impossible to provide one letter that would meet the needs of everyone, so feel free to personalize your letter to address your personal concerns or issues regarding end of life legislation. Your Letter should include:
Your Name and Return Address
Date
Name and Address of the Member: (The Honorable Senator [last name], or Representative [last name]
A Salutation: Dear Senator [last name] or Dear Representative [last name])
An Introduction of yourself: your name, address, identify that you are a constituent
An explanation of why are you writing
A request for a response
A line thanking the Member for their time
A Closing (Sincerely, Best Regards, etc.)
Your Name and/or signature
Sample Letter
John Doe
555 Five Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
March 22, 2022
The Honorable Senator Smith
555 Fifth Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
Dear Senator Smith,
My name is John Doe and I reside at 555 Five Street in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. I am writing to ask if you could speak with me briefly about an issue that is important to me and my family: the laws and policies in Georgia which impact end of life decision-making and patient’s rights at end of life.
Our organization advocates for improved and expanded end of life options in Georgia and as a first step in this work, we are asking the Georgia General Assembly to establish a study committee to examine our current laws and policies, consider improvements which would strengthen those laws, and also make recommendations for new legislation which would expand end of life options for Georgians. Ten states and the District of Columbia have already passed medical aid in dying laws, and we believe that now is the time for the Georgia General Assembly to take up this important issue.
[If you would like to add personal connections or stories on this issue, draft a short paragraph and insert it here,]
I appreciate any help or support you might offer, and would like to request a brief meeting with you to talk more about this issue and how you might be able to help.
Sincerely,
John Doe
[email protected]
123-456-7890
