When they can’t die in their own home, some terminally ill patients are welcomed into someone else’s

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published May 27, 2025 at 5:53 AM HST

Marsha's mother Barbara prepares for her death at Suzanne's home in Vermont. (Courtesy of Marsha)

The “death with dignity” movement advocates for a terminally ill person’s ability to end their life with a doctor’s assistance under a specific set of circumstances.

Medical aid in dying laws exist in 11 states and Washington, D.C., in cases where a patient has less than six months to live, is cognitively sound to make decisions and can self-administer the drugs that will end their lives.

But what happens in the states where these laws do not exist? A growing number of people are making arrangements to travel to Vermont or Oregon, the two states that do not have residency requirements, to die there if they meet the stringent requirements.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young talks to Amy Bruce, director of Patient Choices Vermont, a palliative hospice care nonprofit sharing information and resources about end-of-life choices. Suzanne, a former Vermont hospice nurse who has hosted terminally ill patients from other states in her home, and Marsha, whose mother died in Suzanne’s house, also join us.

Editor’s note: Marsha and Suzanne are using only their first names to avoid backlash from individuals and groups targeting advocates of medical aid in dying.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.