With the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act coming into effect this month on November 28, North Shore Living explores how locals are changing their approach to death.
On 28 November, people with a terminal illness in New South Wales will be able to access voluntary euthanasia, following other Australian states which have already implemented these laws.
Spearheaded by Sydney Independent Alex Greenwich and supported by North Shore MP Felicity Wilson – one of the only local politicians to support it – NSW is the sixth and last state to legalise Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD).
Eligible people are those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and have a life expectancy of less than six months and/or less than 12 months who are living with a terminal disease, illness or medical condition – such as a neurodegenerative condition – and experiencing unbearable suffering.
VAD will come into effect on 28 November after an 18-month implementation period and be led by Northern Sydney Local Health District (LHD). It is carried out by self-administration, where the person takes the VAD medication themselves, or practitioner administration, where the person is given the medication by a qualified health professional.
Currently, VAD laws do not extend to alzheimer’s/dementia as eligibility requires the person to have decision-making capacity at all stages of the process, but supporters are lobbying for changes in the legislation to allow this.
Retired nurse Jan Hose says: “I have seen many die with this horrid disease. You do not recover. It is a death sentence, the worst kind. This subject needs more flexibility for those who know what’s coming.”
Currently, this issue is being considered in Canada where its VAD laws arose out of a court judgement in a human rights case rather than being initiated by parliament. Willoughby President of Dying with Dignity NSW, Penny Hackett, says they are closely watching to see how things develop.
She tells North Shore Living: “We are well aware that this limitation has disappointed many people, but it would be very challenging to create laws with sufficient safeguards and we can’t see any prospect of an Australian parliament being prepared to tackle the issue in the foreseeable future.
President of Dying with Dignity, has been instrumental in pushing the Bill through Parliament and liaising with local residents and MPs.
“In the meantime, we are focusing on ways in which people with dementia in Australia can prepare for their end of life and put plans in place to make sure their wishes are respected through advance care planning and appointing enduring guardians.
“These measures could ensure that they are not given futile treatments or kept alive against their wishes once they lose capacity.”
However, opponents claim VAD raises concerns about the potential for abuse, the devaluation of human life and the ethical implications of intentionally ending a person’s life, even in the context of terminal illness.
One doctor, who asked not to be named, told North Shore Living: “It goes against our grain to do this. It’s controversial because we are trained to heal. To now be in a position where you can be paid to assist the dying process, even though you know they’re suffering, still goes against the grain and could be wide open to exploitation.”
Lane Cove MP Anthony Roberts calls it ‘state-sanctioned murder,’ stating: “Throughout history, no civil society has accepted or permitted any actions that could lead to the destruction of human life.
“The premise of the bill is that the lives of the dying no longer have value. That is a very dangerous precedent to set.”
Advocates like Felicity Wilson and Hornsby MP and Shadow Minister for Health, Matt Kean, who despite his strong Catholic faith supports VAD, argue it provides a compassionate option for individuals suffering from intolerable pain and a diminished quality of life to have control over their own death.
As well as providing autonomy, choice, and dignity, they say it can also alleviate the financial burden of prolonged medical care.
North Shore MP Felicity Wilson and Hornsby MP Matt Kean supported Sydney Independent Alex Greenwich, pictured, in pushing the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act through Parliament.
“It is impossible for me to hear the stories of needless prolonged pain from my constituents, and countenance voting to deprive them of their own autonomy in their final days,” says Ms Wilson.
“Voluntary assisted dying is a matter of compassion, and it is a matter of personal dignity.
“At the end of a person’s life, when they are in extreme suffering with a terminal illness, we should provide choice to access high-quality and compassionate palliative care, or for a person to voluntarily hasten their impending death.”
Registered nurse Cate Brockbank supports families across the lower North Shore and Northern Beaches from birth to end-of-life care. She is also a celebrant and ‘death doula,’ providing the dying and their families with support and guidance, including sitting with patients during their last stages of life.
Cate, who owns Freshwater Funerals, tells North Shore Living: “Families need support more than ever in understanding the complexities and the vast options they now have in farewelling a loved one.
“Having conversations about death and dying helps to normalise, helps with the grieving processes and in doing so helps us to cherish the time we have left.
“Now, with the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act, people can have a choice about what their end of life can look like.
“You can even be present at your own funeral before you die. It’s called a ‘living wake,’ where families and friends celebrate their loved ones and their lives before they have passed – what a beautiful thought.”