Ben White, Queensland University of Technology; Casey Haining, Queensland University of Technology; Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology, and Rachel Feeney, Queensland University of Technology
The NT government has invited views on access to voluntary assisted dying. But whether it should include access for those with dementia is not so clear cut.
Medicare’s regulations for enrolling in hospice exclude many dementia patients who need it the most.
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When dementia patients on Medicare enroll in hospice, they lose other crucial supports and services.
Nurturing hope among patients with cancer and their caregivers is possible and includes coping strategies and exploring realistic goals.
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Patients with incurable cancer want to be informed about their disease and its treatment, but must also maintain hope. This inner conflict can affect how they process information about their prognosis.
It’s illegal to discuss voluntary assisted dying via telehealth, which means people who live in rural areas and those who can’t physically go to see a doctor may not be able to access the scheme.
One person said they wanted a VR experience that allowed them to explore Paris again.
Students in a death and dying class have the opportunity to become a ‘death ambassador,’ in recognition of their new level of awareness that could help foster healthy conversations about death and dying.
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All of us face loss and the reality of our own mortality. Whether through in-person discussion or over social media, let’s build communities that support people navigating death and dying.
Over 20% of people diagnosed with brain cancer survive longer than five years. But the NDIS may not recognise their need for support to live, work, learn and play.
Even for an experienced health-care professional, estimating the life expectancy of a patient with a serious illness is challenging.
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Lysanne Lessard, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa; Amy T. Hsu, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa; Peter Tanuseputro, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa, and Sampath Bemgal, University of New Brunswick
An accurate prediction of survival can enable earlier conversations about preferences and wishes at the end of life, and earlier introduction of palliative care.
Palliative care is often seen as a ‘last resort’ rather than a service that empowers terminally ill people to live as well as possible for as long as possible.
There is debate about whether a health-care worker can ethically participate in both palliative care and the MAID program.
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Bill C-7 has created ethical tensions between MAID providers and palliative care, between transparency and patient privacy, and between offering a dignified death rather than a dignified life.
A core focus of palliative care is on easing symptoms and increasing quality of life for people who have a serious or chronic illness, and not solely for those who are dying.
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The challenging realities surrounding end-of-life care are especially difficult for older people experiencing homelessness, who have more barriers to accessing hospice care.
Gaps between health systems can mean NDIS participants at the end of their lives don’t have the support of their regular NDIS support workers.
Several factors ranging from personal spiritual beliefs to patient relationships to medical legal issues can influence whether a health-care practitioner participates in providing medical assistance in dying (MAID).
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For people to access medical assistance in dying (MAID) requires health-care professionals willing to provide the service. The reasons health-care providers choose not to participate are important.
Palliative care, often misunderstood, is not synonymous with hospice care.
You can start these conversations simply, like saying, “I need to think about the future. Can you help me?”
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When you prepare to talk about end-of-life decisions and the legacy you want to leave behind, try thinking about them as gifts you bestow to family and friends.
Getting a referral to palliative care can be a complicated process.
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Palliative care is about living well and meeting patients’ goals, but referral can be more complex than access to medical assistance in dying (MAID). Palliative care should be as accessible as MAID.
Despite the disproportionate numbers of Aboriginal people in prisons, there are near to no cultural protocols in place, and chronic illness is often not addressed.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne