End of Life Choices California

End of Life Choices California (EOLCCA) was founded by a group of four individuals out of an abiding belief that all Californians diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness should have factual information about and access to all legal options concerning their end of life wishes. We were concerned that too many Californians, their families, and loved ones facing end-of-life decisions, remain uninformed about end-of-life choices, or how to access medical aid in dying, now legal in California, thanks to the passage of the End of Life Option Act in 2015.


Our goal is to provide factual information and personal support.

EOLCCA's Founders came to believe that Californians would benefit from a statewide community network of Client Advocate Volunteers to ensure that everyone can obtain the information and support they need to make the choice for a death consistent with their beliefs and values.

EOLCCA was organized and is currently run by volunteers.

Through the Individual/Family Support Program: EOLCCA's Client Advocate Volunteers receive thorough training and are able to provide the following services:

1.Thoroughly explain all the different options for dying well and how to achieve them; including stopping life-preserving medical treatments, seeking palliative care, entering hospice, voluntary stopping eating and drinking with the support of hospice, palliative sedation, and medical aid in dying.
2.Help people navigate through their dying process, from beginning to end. Sometimes this takes days, sometimes weeks or months: sometimes 1-2 meetings, sometimes many more.
3. Advocacy and support for clients whose wishes are not being met or who are not getting adequate pain or symptom management.
4. Meet with families to help facilitate discussions about the patient’s end-of-life wishes.
5. Provide information and support to family members regarding the process of their loved one’s dying, what to expect and how they can best provide compassionate and helpful support.
6. Provide support and reassurance to the client (and family) as he/she navigates through the process of requesting medical aid in dying from their physician, or if needed, helping them find a physician who participates in medical aid in dying if their physician will not so they can effectively advocate for themselves.
7.We are willing to advocate for them if necessary, such as helping to facilitate a conversation with physicians or hospice to help clients get needed services or adequate pain control.
8.We are able to bring an experienced, calm, peaceful and reassuring presence on the day of planned death, to help review instructions and provide moral support and comfort to both the client and family.
9.Assist in completing or understanding how to utilize advance directives.