The organisation is calling for people with dementia to be included if assisted dying laws proposed for Victoria go ahead.
If the legislation is passed, only adults with the capacity to make decisions, who have a “serious and incurable” condition and are expected to die within 12 months will be able to seek a physician-assisted death.
People with dementia would be excluded as they would only have the mental capacity to make the request while the disease is progressing – not once they are at the end of their life.
While this measure has been put in place as a safeguard, Alzheimer’s Victoria wants people with degenerative disorders to be able to make an enduring request for voluntary assisted dying in an Advance Care Plan.
“A good death is our right”
Acting CEO Leanne Wenig says it shouldn’t be assumed that all people with a dementia diagnosis can’t make important decisions about their life.
“Our organisation is neither for nor against assisted dying. We do advocate, however, that all individuals should have a choice,” she says.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Edie Mayhew, who was diagnosed with dementia aged 59 in 2010.
“I want to die at home,” she said. “I also want a quick and painless death. I support assisted death for terminally ill people who have expressed that wish at an earlier point in their illness when they were able to do so.”
There is no easy answer – but with 104,000 people with dementia living in Victoria, it’s one that needs to be addressed.
Alzheimer’s Australia offers a free National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500 or visit www.fightdementia.org.au/vic.
