Navigating and understanding the voluntary assisted dying experience
Navigating and understanding the voluntary assisted dying experience Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is a legal end-of-life process through which eligible Western Australians dying from an advanced and progressive terminal illness or disease may legally choose the manner and timing of their death.
Through this podcast, families, friends and healthcare professionals generously share their VAD journeys to support others in understanding and exploring this end-of-life choice.
These stories reflect the perceptions and experiences of those involved. They were created to support Western Australians in their conversations and open discussion with their health practitioners, family, carers and community about treatment options and care preferences, and do not replace specialised advice from trained VAD healthcare professionals.
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Pharmacist Niki
Niki outlines the role of the VAD Statewide Pharmacy Service. She talks about the unique role the service has in supplying the VAD substance to wherever it is needed across WA, and supporting people and their families as they reach the formal end of the VAD process.
Listen to Niki (external site)
Barbara’s story
Barbara describes her journey with her husband exploring voluntary assisted dying. With his military precision, her husband carefully planned his death to ensure Barbara and their adult children were supported and prepared for life without him. Barbara shares:
- the things that have helped her along the challenging journey in supporting him with his neurodegenerative condition
- his decision to access VAD
- the conscious choices they made to keep him at home using all resources available until he reached the day he had marked in his calendar.
Listen to Barbara's story (external site)
Sam's story
Listen as Sam shares her experience of being by her mother’s side throughout her end-of-life journey from lung cancer, and their conscious commitment to making memories as a family.
Actively choosing to make the most of the time available to them, the family worked through her mother’s ‘bucket list’ before her death, using all services available to them including excellent palliative care to support her to die at home.
Listen to Sam share her experiences (external site).
Care Navigator Nikki
Nikki discusses how the WA Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service supports people and families by demystifying this end-of-life care option. She also shares some of her experiences since VAD became a legal end-of-life choice for Western Australians.
Listen to Nikki's story (external site).
Learn more about VAD
Read information about VAD and other end-of-life care options (HealthyWA).
The free Statewide VAD Care Navigator Service (external site) supports anyone involved with voluntary assisted dying in WA, including healthcare workers, service providers, patients and members of the community. You can contact the service by:
- phoning 9431 2755 between 8.30am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Voluntary assisted dying is not suicide. If you, or someone close to you is considering suicide please reach out to a support service such as LifeLine WA (external site) or phone 13 11 14.
If you need support
If listening to these podcasts on voluntary assisted dying has raised distressing issues for you, contact the following organisations support:
LifeLine WA
Phone 13 11 14 (available 24/7)
Chat online with LifeLineWA (external site)
Suicide Call Back Service
Phone 1300 659 467 (available 24/7)
Chat online (external site)
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is provided in good faith by the South Metropolitan Health Service to assist the WA community understand voluntary assisted dying in WA. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, no guarantee is given that the information is free from error or omission.
It is the responsibility of the user to make their own enquiries and decisions about relevance, accuracy, currency and applicability of information in this circumstance. The podcast is not intended to be, nor should it be, relied upon as a substitute for legal, clinical or other professional advice.