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Illinois

Status of End-of-Life Legislation

The Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act (SB 3499), that would authorize medical aid in dying in Illinois, was introduced in the Senate on February 8, 2024 by Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D 42). The legislation is summarized here.

The majority of Illinoisans support medical aid in dying. In a 2023 poll, 71% of likely Illinois Voters supported this compassionate legislation. The majority of Illinois physicians also support this option with the key safeguards in the legislation

Survey of Illinois Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Medical Aid in Dying as an End-of-Life Option

Illinois Legislative Campaign Overview

The Compassion & Choices Action Network Illinois team and the ACLU of Illinois are partnering in the Illinois End-of-Life Options Coalition to advocate for the end-of-life care option of medical aid in dying for qualified terminally ill Illinoisans. If you would like to get involved in this movement, please sign up here.

Polling

Legislation to allow medical aid in dying, an option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults to peacefully end unbearable suffering, is supported by a wide majority of Illinois voters, regardless of political affiliation, disability, race, gender identity, age or religion.

5 charts showing support for Medical Aid in dying across demographics in Illinois

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Hear from Illinoisan Deb Robertson

Nilsa Centeno is the mother of the late Miguel Carrasquillo, a Chicago chef who died in his native Puerto Rico in 2016 of brain cancer while advocating for medical aid in dying.

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Tools and Resources

Illinois Newsletter Archive, issues linked below

Fall/Winter 2022
Summer 2022
Spring 2022
Fall 2021

 

simple blue medical cross graphic.For Patients Access the Illinois Advance Directive  

 

 

tools for end of life planning and decision making.End-of-Life Planning Use our step-by-step guide to chart your journey.  

 

 

advance care planning and resources in Spanish, espanol.Los recursos en Español Los recursos en Español.  

 

 

answers to questions about COVID-19, including treatment and end of life.COVID-19 Toolkit Get answers to your questions about COVID-19 and end of life care.  

 

 

tools for end of life planning and decision making.Resources for Providers Find resources tailored to the needs of healthcare providers.     

 

 

Kelly Rice standing in front of a fence and flowers

My work is about how we ensure that people living with dementia are still able to embrace the pieces of life that bring them joy through end-of-life planning.

Kelly Rice is a public health professional working in Springfield and Chicago, Illinois. They’ve been involved in health-related social and long-term care support for over two decades. This includes individuals in the end-of-life care space, from long-term survivors of HIV to people living with dementia. Kelly is passionate about working with older populations and assisting people on their end-of-life journey, including navigating the healthcare system. 

Dementia became a recurring theme in Kelly’s work, and they began recognizing how much undiagnosed or diagnosed dementia impacts all areas of care and the lives of so many older adults. In one case, Kelly found that a client was diagnosed with dementia but didn’t have the services or treatment they needed. Kelly discussed treatment options and end-of-life planning with their client and informed them of services available to them. This is just one example of Kelly’s work with providing information and resources to people who need it.

As a public health leader, Kelly is interested in systemic change for people living with dementia and their caregivers. There’s a lot of stigma and concern about dementia, but resources and information are lacking. Kelly is determined to raise public awareness about dementia, from educational programs for healthcare professionals to personal conversations with the public.

Kelly sees these conversations as beyond just advance care planning or life-sustaining treatments; they’re also about day-to-day life with dementia and quality of life. Some questions Kelly would ask: What do I want my end of life to look like? What support do I need to achieve that? Do I want a pastor or a friend to come visit me? These questions get to the heart of what brings us joy and how to embrace the parts of life that bring joy at the end of our lives. 

Kelly’s personal experience with their father’s early onset Alzheimer’s informed their decision to advocate for improving dementia care. Kelly’s father, Douglas Rice, died when he was 64 and his dementia had advanced dramatically. This wasn’t always clear to healthcare professionals because of his age and it led to unwanted medical treatment at the end of his life. Hospice did get involved in his last days and provided a space where he was comforted and taken care of. The question for Kelly is, are we providing quality to people or are we just providing quantity of days?

Kelly encourages people to use the Compassion & Choices’ dementia tools because they are detailed and specific to each person’s experience. The tools are a nuanced look at dementia and provide the groundwork to have a deeper conversation about what someone wants or doesn’t want in the event of a dementia diagnosis. 

To learn more about the dementia tools, visit CompassionAndChoices.org/finish-strong-tools


The Compassion & Choices family comprises two organizations: Compassion & Choices (the 501(c)(3)), whose focus is expanding access, public education and litigation; and Compassion & Choices Action Network (the 501(c)(4)), whose focus is legislative work at the federal and state levels.

 

Supported in part by Compassion & Choices Action Network.

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