Quebec funeral homes offer space for families to gather, say goodbye at assisted deaths

While funeral homes are places where you usually end up after you die, Patrick Savoie's father-in-law, Michel Brunelle, decided to die in one instead.

"Michel had been suffering from emphysema for a very, very long time," said Savoie. "As time was passing by, his ability to move, his ability to function was getting harder and harder."

Brunelle chose a doctor-assisted death, but his family wanted him to die in a facility that had the amenities and the right space in which to comfortably say goodbye, said Savoie.

Brunelle's wife didn't want to live with the memory of her husband dying in their bed at home, Savoie said. A hospital was an option, but not an easy one, considering how strained the province's medical system is, he said.

"A hospital room is a very fixed, limited size. You can't necessarily have everybody you want to have there," he said.

So the family chose a nearby funeral home that offers a space for assisted dying, providing care to the family and handling the body afterward.

"It was a very nice room," said Savoie. "It allowed us the time we needed to do what we had to do to say goodbye. Let him get comfortable."

Providing service is emotional

The head of that funeral home, Mathieu Baker, said providing a space for medically assisted deaths was a natural step for the family-owned business, which has several locations in southern Quebec's Brome-Missisquoi and Haut-Richelieu regions.

The company has long strived to provide customized care that meets clients' needs, he said. But meeting those needs is not easy, especially when it involves medically assisted death.

"There are a lot of emotions," Baker said. "The person who made the decision is usually very convinced, but the kids, the siblings or other family members aren't necessarily on the same page."

He said providing the service involves holding many meetings and phone conversations with loved ones before the scheduled date to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Even still, Baker said, it comes with a heightened level of emotions that even he isn't used to dealing with, despite growing up in a business that has been passed down through four generations.

"We're all crying with the family," he said.

Many people don't want to die at a hospital or in a long-term care home, where there may not be enough space or staff to provide a personalized experience, he said.

"It is a very personal act that should be respected and done properly," said Baker.

"Do you want to watch a movie? Do you want a glass of wine? Some people want to be in groups of four or five, and we've had groups of up to 30 people."

Given all that is involved with providing a space for assisted dying, Baker said, he's not sure if all funeral homes will offer the service.

And for some, it is contentious.

The digital newspaper La Presse published an article about the funeral home's service on Friday, raising questions about the propriety of charging money to host a medically assisted death.

'Put people's wishes first'

Sarah Bigras, a spokesperson for Quebec's minister responsible for seniors, said the minister is looking into the legality of offering assisted dying services in a funeral home.

"Several questions may arise, and we will take the time to validate," she said in an emailed response to CBC's questions.

"The important thing is to put people's wishes first, while ensuring that the proposals are not part of a monetization of the practice."

The public health authority for the region south of Montreal, CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, said in a statement that it is not involved in any assisted dying services at funeral homes.

"This is a process that belongs to the person and the decision of the doctor who agrees to administer medical assistance in dying," said Chantal Vallée, spokesperson for the CISSS.

The number of Quebecers opting for medical aid in dying (MAID) since it became legal has grown quickly: from 63 people in 2015–2016 to more than 3,000 in 2021–2022. But Dr. Olivia Nguyen, a palliative care doctor, said services to accompany MAID have lagged behind that swell.

"Some people do not want to receive MAID at home, and some place should be made available," Nguyen said. "I think it should be made available in the public health-care system"

In Toronto, community groups and funeral homes have been filling in the service gap, according to Tekla Hendrickson, who is with a nonprofit organization that offers space for people seeking a medically assisted death.

"This system really started from legislation and a medical model, and now we are aware of the community-based support that needs to come," Hendrickson said.