In an in-depth qualitative study, 15 Western Australians aged 65 years or older were interviewed regarding their perspectives on voluntary assisted death. Participants believed that, in principle, people should have the right to choose VAD even if they didn’t have a terminal illness. However, they stressed that checks and balances must be in place.
The participants said it is about having the choice over ending one’s life, they said, regardless of whether they would actually opt for it. Having the choice alone was empowering.
The study was supervised by Edith Cowan University (ECU) psychology researcher Dr Eyal Gringart.
Australia