Life Begins At...

I watched my father die painfully in hospital almost two decades ago, and that is the main reason I have established Go Gentle Australia – to work towards a change in the law so that Australians can have greater choice in how and when they die, just as people in so many overseas countries can already do. Over the last few years, as I've travelled around Australia and to countries where laws to assist people to die have existed successfully for many years, I've noticed a dreadful contrast. In countries that allow such laws, people who are dying of irreversible diseases have the choice of ending their suffering, and farewelling those they love, on their terms, not according to the ethics and beliefs of others. In Australia, where no law exists, many elderly people faced with the same irreversible diseases are either dying painfully, despite the best efforts of palliative care, or are choosing to end their lives violently and alone. Those they love feel powerless to help. We have one of the best palliative care systems in the world, and we should be proud of it. But for a small percentage of patients, even the best palliative care cannot ease the pain or distress – and the suffering at the end of life can be savage, traumatising patients and their families alike. Not that this is a competition between palliative care and assisted dying! In countries where both exist, there have been measurable improvements in palliative care. The two exist side by side as meaningful end of life choices. Love through end of life Supporting those we love through end of life is not easy. There is no single answer to how best to do it. What we can do, however, is try to ensure that they are do not suffer unnecessarily, and as Andrew Denton explains, the single most important issue here is for them to have the comfort of choice. H E A L T H In countries that allow such laws, people who are dying of irreversible diseases have the choice of ending their suffering, and farewelling those they love, on their terms, not according to the ethics and beliefs of others lifebeginsat.com.au Winter 2017 44

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