Death with Dignity & Medical Aid in Dying Guidance in Maine
Clear, compassionate guidance for patients and families exploring Maine’s Death with Dignity process.
Medical aid in dying is a deeply personal, patient-directed decision. Karin Woodworth, FNP-C, ACHPN, helps you understand your options, connect with participating physicians, prepare thoughtfully, and feel supported throughout the process.
Virtual guidance is available throughout Maine. Contact Karin to discuss in-person support outside coastal Maine.
What Does the Process Generally Involve?
A simple overview of the steps. Karin can explain each one in more detail during a private conversation.
Ask Questions
Begin with a confidential conversation or educational telehealth appointment. Karin can help you understand the general requirements, consider your options, and identify questions to discuss with participating physicians.
Meet With Participating Physicians
An attending physician and a consulting physician must evaluate the patient and confirm that the applicable medical and legal requirements have been met. Karin can help connect patients with physicians who participate in Maine’s Death with Dignity process, but she does not determine final eligibility or prescribe the medication.
Complete the Required Requests
Maine law requires oral and written requests and includes waiting periods. Karin can explain how the different steps fit together, while the participating physicians oversee the formal medical and legal process.
Decide Whether to Move Forward
The patient remains in control throughout the process and may change their mind at any time. Completing the required requests or receiving the medication does not obligate the patient to take it. If the patient chooses to move forward, Karin can provide preparation and support based on the patient’s wishes and the arrangements made in advance.
Karin can help explain the process, coordinate next steps, and support patients and families along the way.
You Do Not Have to Navigate This Alone
You may be wondering whether you or someone you love could qualify, how to find participating physicians, what the process involves, or how to begin a conversation with your family.
Karin provides a calm, experienced place to start. She explains the process in understandable language, helps you identify possible next steps, and keeps the patient’s wishes at the center of the conversation.
Medical aid in dying refers to an eligible adult with a terminal illness choosing to take prescribed medication to end their life. In Maine, this option is governed by the Maine Death with Dignity Act.
Learning about Death with Dignity does not commit you to pursuing it. The patient remains in control of whether to begin or continue the process.
Who May Be Eligible?
In general, the patient must:
Be at least 18 years old
Be a Maine resident
Have an incurable and irreversible illness expected to result in death within six months
Be able to make and communicate an informed decision
Be acting voluntarily and without coercion
Be able to take the medication themselves
An attending physician and a consulting physician must evaluate the patient and confirm that the requirements have been met.
Karin can explain the general criteria, help patients prepare for physician conversations, and provide referrals when appropriate. She does not make the final eligibility decision.
How Karin Can Help
Karin is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with advanced hospice and palliative care experience. She offers education, preparation, coordination, and support for patients and families considering Death with Dignity.
Karin does not prescribe Death with Dignity medication. Under Maine law, the attending and consulting roles must be fulfilled by participating physicians.
Education and Eligibility Guidance
Understand the general requirements, anticipated steps, and questions to discuss with participating physicians.
Physician Referrals
Receive help connecting with attending and consulting physicians who participate in Maine’s Death with Dignity process.
Family Conversations
Create space for family members to ask questions, express concerns, and better understand the patient’s wishes.
Preparation and Coordination
Plan for practical details and communicate with hospice or other members of the patient’s care team when appropriate.
Support on the Chosen Day
When arranged in advance, Karin can provide an experienced and reassuring presence when the patient takes the medication.
Bereavement Support
Receive follow-up support after the death and information about additional bereavement resources available through Still Harbor Health.
Death with Dignity Guidance Options
Educational Telehealth Session
$250
A private educational appointment for patients or family members who want to better understand:
How Maine’s process generally works
Eligibility and physician requirements
Karin’s role as a guide
Possible next steps
Other available end-of-life options
Full Guidance Package
$1,200
For patients and families who want more comprehensive support throughout the process.
Depending on the patient’s circumstances and needs, support may include:
Education and individualized preparation
Referrals to participating physicians
A family meeting
Coordination with hospice when involved
Support leading up to and on the chosen day
Follow-up bereavement support
The cost of the prescribed medication is separate and is not included in Karin’s guidance fee.
Support for Family Members
A loved one’s decision to pursue medical aid in dying can bring many emotions at once, including sadness, uncertainty, fear, relief, guilt, and grief.
Karin helps family members understand the process, prepare for what may happen, and find ways to support the patient while also caring for themselves.
Family members may schedule an educational conversation even if the patient is not ready to speak with Karin or has not decided whether to pursue Death with Dignity.
Bereavement follow-up is included in the full guidance package. Still Harbor Health may also offer a small bereavement support group for people who have lost a loved one through Death with Dignity or medical aid in dying.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Karin provides education, referrals, preparation, coordination, and support. The prescription must come from a participating attending physician after the applicable requirements have been met.
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Maine’s process generally requires two oral requests at least 15 days apart, a written request, and additional timing requirements.
When a patient’s condition is progressing rapidly, the attending physician may waive part of the waiting period if the physician determines that doing so is in the patient’s best interests. The total waiting period cannot be shortened to less than seven days.
Individual circumstances can affect the overall timeline.
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No. Hospice enrollment is not required under Maine’s Death with Dignity Act. However, hospice can provide valuable comfort-focused care and support.
Hospice policies concerning Death with Dignity and staff participation vary by organization. -
Yes. The patient may change their mind at any time. Even after completing the formal process or receiving the medication, the patient can decide not to take it.
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A dementia diagnosis does not by itself determine eligibility. The patient must still meet all of Maine’s requirements, including being able to make and communicate an informed decision and personally take the medication.
Because dementia can affect decision-making capacity and physical ability over time, many people with advanced dementia may not qualify when they reach the final stage of illness.
Karin can still help patients and families explore advance care planning, hospice, comfort-focused care, and other patient-directed options. -
No. Some people only need education or help connecting with participating physicians. Others want Karin’s support throughout the process or on the chosen day.
Her involvement can be tailored to the patient’s needs and must be arranged in advance. -
Virtual education and guidance are available throughout Maine. In-person support is primarily available in coastal Maine, with travel to other locations considered according to timing, distance, and availability.
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No. The cost of the prescribed medication is separate from Karin’s guidance fee.
Experienced Guidance Through a Deeply Personal Decision
You may be gathering information, ready to begin the formal process, or trying to support someone you love.
Karin will meet you where you are, answer your questions honestly, and help you understand your options without pressure or judgment.
Disclaimer
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only. It does not determine whether an individual qualifies under the Maine Death with Dignity Act and does not replace individualized medical or legal guidance.
Eligibility must be evaluated and confirmed by participating physicians. Laws, procedures, physician participation, hospice policies, service availability, and fees may change.