Preparing for your passing is not necessarily macabre or depressing. As the saying goes, there are only two certainties in life. This article speaks of one of them: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-18/victoria-voluntary-assisted-dying-will-change-my-life-nia-sims/11217236
Victoria has introduced Voluntary Assisted Dying provisions, which from tomorow, June 19 2019, will allow terminally ill Victorians to have the choice to request assessment for Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD). The protagonist in the article views these changes as a positive step.
An Advance Health Directive as part of your Succession Planning is a ‘directive’ (rather than an authority for someone else to make a decision) about your end-of-life care, when you are unable to. While euthanasia is not legal in Western Australia, an AHD can provide much clarity for health workers when you are severely ill. Some people may choose to write that they don’t want any ‘assisted living’, or ‘artificial maintenance of life’, while others may choose to fight until the end no matter what.
Some people will refuse pain relief, and some will encourage it.
Speak to your doctor about these matters, and an AHD can be drafted by your lawyer. Alternatively, see a lawyer first to get an idea of your options for this important matter.
