A person wanting to access voluntary assisted dying must meet strict criteria, including having a medical condition that is considered to be advanced and progressive.
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Western Australia might soon become the second state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying. Its proposed law draws on the Victorian model, but has some important differences, too.
When it comes to a terminal diagnosis, how can families talk about the unthinkable?
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Ben White, Queensland University of Technology; Eliana Close, Queensland University of Technology, and Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology
As we sit on the cusp of voluntary assisted dying becoming legal in Victoria, we expect it won’t always be simple for people who want it to access it – at least in the legislation’s early days.
On May 16, 2019, Madeleine Munier Apaire (shown here in June 2014), lawyer for Vincent Lambert’s nephew, considered that all remedies were “exhausted”.
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The debate over Mr. Vincent Lambert’s decision to discontinue his care overshadowed equally important judicial and ethical issues. A look back at a complex situation that will set a precedent.
You’ve more than likely heard of birth doulas. But nowadays, death doulas are providing support at the end of life. How they fit into existing structures of care remains to be understood.
People need time to learn about their options and think about their preferences.
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Excruciating pain at the end of life is extremely rare. The evidence shows pain and other symptoms, such as fatigue, insomnia and breathing issues, actually improve as people move closer to death.
The bill to legalise assisted dying was introduced to the NSW Legislative Council in September, 2017.
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While there are similarities in the general principles of palliative care provided to children and adults, there are also key differences.
Palliative care involves a team of specialised health professionals who provide an extra layer of support to the person and their family.
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One would think governments would do all they could to ensure palliative care is available to all who need it. This is not the case in Australia today.
Medical assistance in dying has been legal in Canada since July 2016, but there are no ‘specialists’ responsible for doctor-assisted suicide and many doctors are overwhelmed with requests.
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More than 2,000 Canadians have chosen medical assistance in dying (MAID) since legalization in 2016. But palliative care doctors aren’t embracing assisted suicide as part of their job.
Respecting the autonomy of young people in their health-care choices is important.
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The Victorian law provides if a child has made a valid advance directive including instructions to refuse a particular medical treatment, a health practitioner must not provide that treatment.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne