Voluntary assisted dying views and experiences of Australians living with dementia: a qualitative study

This study explored the views and experiences of Australians living with dementia relating to voluntary assisted dying (VAD) as an end-of-life care option. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online with 12 Australians living with dementia. The findings of this study identified that participants wanted VAD as an end-of-life care option to achieve improved quality of life, a good death, and to control their end-of-life care. Without this option, participants feared they are at risk of a poor dying experience, including potential abuse if they require residential care. The participants felt their living experiences of stigma and discrimination presented significant barriers to realising what they viewed as their right to VAD access. These findings highlight the importance of capturing the views of people living with dementia relating to VAD as an end-of-life care option, as without an in-depth understanding of their experiences, future end-of-life policy and practice may not reflect their end-of-life care preferences.