Death With Dignity Act (DWD for Patients)
About the Process
Watch the Video:
End of Life Washington Informational Webinar: Everything you need to know about your End-of-life options, including the Death With Dignity Act.
Read an Overview:
What End of Life Washington can do for you: We are a statewide organization that supports people preparing for their final days.
Our Client Support Services can help patients:
- Consider all end-of-life options.
- Understand the importance of hospice and locate a provider.
- Talk to your family and health care providers about dying and Death with Dignity.
- Locate health care providers and pharmacists who support a patient’s choice to use the law.
An experienced Volunteer Client Advisor can be present with you if you choose to take the Death with Dignity medication.
Speak with Your Health Care Provider
Before asking End of Life Washington for help finding a supportive provider, you should ask the health care provider(s) you are currently working with if they will support your choice to use the law. It is very important that this conversation occur in person.
Note:
End of Life Washington does not provide or administer life-ending medication. We offer information, support, and, if requested, personal presence at the death of a qualified client.
PDF Documents for Download
DWD Checklist
Updated July 31, 2023
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The checklist is available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Tagalog.
First Oral Request
MAKING YOUR FIRST ORAL REQUEST - This documented request starts the 7-day timeline required by law to receive the prescription. Start with your Primary Care Provider, Specialist, Palliative Care or Hospice Provider.
Updated July 31, 2023
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Written Request Form and Instructions
Complete this form after you have seen the Attending (prescribing) Provider. This form must be signed by two qualified witnesses. One witness can be a family member; one can be an employee of your health care provider; or both witnesses can be bystanders.
Updated July 2023
Link to PDF
Forms have been translated for reference purposes only. In accordance with Washington State Law, these forms must be completed in English. They are currently available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
Death With Dignity Preparations
If you have any questions about this information, please contact the End of Life Washington office at 206.256.1636. If you decide to take the life-ending medication and have given us adequate notice, a Volunteer Client Adviser can provide you and your loved ones with support through this process.
Updated August 2023
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Step-by-Step Instructions for Taking Life-Ending Medications
Note: If these directions are not followed, the process may take longer or may not work.
Updated August 2023
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Options for Clients who cannot swallow
Non-Oral Administration of Aid-in-Dying Medications: Rectal, feeding tubes, and ostomies. From the American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying.
Go to Website
Language Matters
This document explains why the term, “physician-assisted suicide” is inaccurate when talking about the Death with Dignity Act. The correct term to use is “aid in dying”.
Updated 1-10-2020
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Talking to Your Doctor About Death With Dignity
Don’t wait until it’s too late to have this important conversation with your physician. Many patients want the comfort of knowing that the Washington Death with Dignity Act (DWDA) will be available to them.
Updated 1-10-2020
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Talking to Your Family About Dying
If you want to ensure that your own death is peaceful, you must talk to your family and other loved ones. This document explains how to have these conversations as well as help prepare them for your death.
Updated 1-10-2020
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Death with Dignity Act Residency Requirements
Death With Dignity Act FAQ These questions and answers contain general information about the effect of Initiative 1000, the state’s Death with Dignity Act. Refer to the official act for specific details under this law.
updated 1-10-2020
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If you meet the legal requirements and choose to use the Death with Dignity Act (DWDA), we honor that decision and provide support and guidance to you and your family through the process. However, we neither provide nor administer life-ending medication. Furthermore, people with dementia are unable to qualify for the Death with Dignity Act because by the time they are eligible to receive a terminal diagnosis with a six-month prognosis, they are no longer deemed mentally competent. There are never any fees for any service End of Life Washington provides.