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.
Listen to our podcasts – This is my stop
Join Gina as she shares her love story with her courageous daughter Robbi, through acceptance of Robbi’s terminal illness and journey to end-of-life through death meetings, humour, memory making, accessing VAD and final goodbyes.
Gina talks us through how they approached this as a family to ensure Robbi’s control over the manner, timing and nature of her death, and her capacity to see the beauty in Robbi’s gift to her, embracing both joy and sorrow of her story.
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Read the transcript of Gina's story (PDF 251KB).
In this episode of ‘This is my stop’ podcast, Lisa shares her story of supporting her husband, Stephen, with his pancreatic cancer diagnosis just after his 53rd birthday, through to his treatment and exploration of end-of-life choices.
Lisa talks through the challenges and the firsts they shared along the way, including when Stephen ultimately chose to access voluntary assisted dying and end his life on his own terms, with his ‘ace in his back pocket’.
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Hear Kerri and Brodie chat about the voluntary assisted dying journey their nanna and mum, Betty, chose to take.
Betty made a long-term commitment to this end-of-life option and worked through the process following her disease progression.
They share the day that she died surrounded by her family, dressed exactly as the beautiful lady she was, and their journey as a family in finding meaning in this space – including the serendipitous visits just after her death.
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Dr Gareth shares his journey of caring for people and their support network in exploring VAD and the richness of this role as a VAD practitioner.
From his experiences, Gareth outlines the broad brushstrokes of what patients and families can expect when navigating VAD, including answers to the questions they often ask their practitioners.
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Dan takes us with him from his shock diagnosis of a brain tumour through his purposeful decision making around treatment and care planning with a goal to outlive his prognosis while maintaining quality of life.
Expressing overwhelming feelings of empowerment and release through exploring VAD as an unexpected end-of-life choice, Dan shares that whilst his diagnosis is immovable, being informed and holding some control over how his death may be as his 'get out of jail card' has freed him to focus on the time in between as a living journey with his wife and family.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.