Groups
There are several national groups that work for aid in dying (death-with-dignity.) They differ in their approach, but all are wonderful, and earn our highest recommendation. We strongly recommend joining and supporting them all.
Compassion and Choices (C&C) is the largest and best-funded group. C&C is leading the charge to get the right to death-with-dignity established in states all around the US. It’s a most wonderful group — please join if you’re not already a member. It also provides trained counselors who can offer advice if you’re suffering intolerably. If this is you, don’t hesitate to call C&C at 800-247-7421.
The Resources Page at the Compassion & Choices website is particularly valuable and contains links to several important fact sheets.
The Death With Dignity National Center, based in Oregon where the first death-with-dignity law was passed, serves as a clearinghouse for the movement and does wonderful advocacy work.
All of these national groups — Compassion & Choices, and the Death With Dignity National Center — are wonderful, and worth supporting.
Around the US, there are many statewide and local groups, including:
- In Oregon: Compassion and Choices of Oregon
- In Washington: End of Life Washington
- In Colorado: Colorado End of Life Options and Compassion & Choices Colorado
- In New York: End of Life Choices New York
- In Ohio: Ohio End of Life Options
- In Vermont: Patient Choices Vermont
- In California: Hemlock Society of San Diego and Compassion & Choices California
- In Arizona: Compassion & Choices Arizona
- In Florida: Hemlock Society of Florida
- In Texas: Texas Death With Dignity
State by state information is available at the C&C website at http://www.compassionandchoices.org/what-we-do/on-the-ground/.
And death with dignity is a worldwide movement.
- In Canada, there’s the magnificent group Dying With Dignity Canada and the Right To Die Society of Canada.
- For Mexico, visit DMD Mexico Por el Derecho a Morir con Dignidad AC
- For Britain, visit the Campaign for Dignity in Dying (and here’s their Facebook page), My Death My Decision, and Friends At The End.
- For Scotland visit Exit Scotland (lots of information there)
- For Australia, visit the magnificent website of Go Gentle Australia, and also check out Exit International, led by author and activist Dr. Philip Nitschke, and Dying With Dignity Queensland
- For New Zealand visit End of Life Choice New Zealand
- For Switzerland, visit Dignitas
- For The Netherlands, visit the website of NVVE (if you’re not fluent in Dutch, here’s the NVVE site in English.)
- For Germany, visit the German Society for Dying with Dignity (and here’s their press kit in English)
- For Europe as a whole, visit Right To Die Europe.
- For Israel, visit Lilach.
- For South Africa, visit the magnificent website of Dignity South Africa.
- For the entire worldwide movement, visit the World Federation of Right-To-Die Societies as well as Derek Humphry’s directory of all the international groups.
For the broader movement to reduce suffering at end of life, visit The Conversation Project. And in Chicago, check out the Chicago End of Life Care Coalition. “Dedicated to improving the care of dying patients.” A coalition of hospice providers, palliative care doctors, organizations and concerned citizens. An important group with whom we share common cause. And for professionals in the field, there’s the Chicago Bridge — Emerging Professionals in the field of Aging.