FOR PATIENTS & FAMILIES If you're facing this, you don't have to face it alone.
Whether you're the one who is dying, or someone who loves them, this is a place to understand your choices, slowly, honestly, and without pressure.
Medical aid in dying is a legal option in California that lets a terminally ill adult, who still has decision-making capacity, choose to end their life peacefully on their own terms.
What medical aid in dying is.
It's a legal option in California under the End of Life Option Act. The choice, and the control, stays with you the whole way. In fact, many people who qualify and receive the medication never take it, simply having the option brings enormous relief.
IS THIS AN OPTION FOR ME?Who medical aid in dying is for.
Part of my job is helping you figure out, honestly, whether it fits your situation. In general, it's for someone who:
• Is an adult and a California resident
• Has a terminal diagnosis
• Can make their own medical decisions
• Is physically able to take the medication themselves
Agency is the heart of this. You must be able to take the medication yourself — no one can do it for you. The options, and the decision, remain in your hands the entire time.
WHAT TO EXPECTI'll walk you through every step — and handle the paperwork so you don't have to.
1.
We talk. I listen, answer questions, and we figure out together whether this is the right path.
2.
The formal requests. California law requires specific steps, including a written request and a required waiting period between requests.
3.
A second physician. The law requires a second provider to confirm eligibility. I can arrange this for you, or work with your own doctor.
4.
The prescription. Once everything is in place, I write the prescription; you fill it at the pharmacy which costs approximately $700.
5.
When and whether. You decide if and when to take it. If you'd like, I can be present, or coordinate with a trained death doula team for bedside support.
We shape this around what you need.
HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOUEvery situation is different, so I keep this flexible. That can look like:
In the background
I handle the medical and legal steps and stay out of the way. You may never need me at the bedside — and that's completely okay.
Present with you
I can be there, in your home, supporting you and your family through the experience itself.
With a doula team
I can coordinate with a trained death doula team for hands-on, bedside presence alongside my care.
A NOTE ON LANGUAGEI say the word death, plainly and without apology because naming it honestly is part of caring for you, and for the people you'll leave behind. You'll find that directness here.
COMMON QUESTIONS The things families ask first.
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No. Euthanasia means someone else administers a medication to end your life — that isn't legal here, and it isn't what I do. Medical aid in dying means you, and only you, take a medication you've chosen, yourself. And under California law it isn't legally a suicide: your death certificate lists your underlying illness.
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In California, it's for an adult resident with a terminal illness — a prognosis of six months or less — who can make their own medical decisions and is able to take the medication themselves. You don't have to prove you're suffering or promise you'll use it. Qualifying simply gives you the option.
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It's gentle. You ingest a prescribed medication by mouth or by tube and, within a few minutes, fall into a deep sleep. Death usually follows peacefully within a few hours. You aren't in pain, and you needn't be alone — most people are at home, with the people they love nearby.
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California requires a 48-hour waiting period between your two verbal requests, and it usually takes a few more days for the pharmacy to prepare the medication — so the full process is often a couple of weeks, sometimes faster. Because timing matters so much, it helps to start early.
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Once everything is in place, I write the prescription. You fill this at your pharmacy, usually costing around $700 plus delivery. Most insurance and Medicare don't cover it (Medi-Cal sometimes does). My own fees are separate — I discuss them directly and confidentially, and a sliding scale is available. Nothing about cost will be a surprise.
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Yes — and most people choose exactly that: at home, surrounded by the people they love. There's no legal requirement to have a medical professional present, though many families like having a nurse, a doula, or me there. Being present puts your loved ones at no legal risk.
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You set a date keeping in mind that the medications lose potency within 6 months but you can change your mind any time. About one in three people who receive the medication never take it. Having the choice is often its own kind of peace.
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Yes to both. Medical aid in dying sits alongside hospice care, not instead of it, and I'm glad to work with your existing hospice team or primary doctor — or to handle everything myself if that's easier for you.
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Not at all. A first conversation is just a conversation. Many people simply want to understand their options — there's no pressure here, and no wrong reason to reach out.
WHEN YOU'RE READYHowever you found me, I'd be glad to hear from you.
Whether you're facing this yourself or caring for someone you love — reaching out doesn't commit you to anything.