From 1 January 2023 access to a Voluntary Assisted Dying substance is available to people in Queensland who meet strict eligibility criteria. Under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2021 (VAD) (Queensland), entities in Queensland can choose whether or not to provide Voluntary Assisted Dying services, with the understanding that there are obligations under the Act in relation to providing a person with access to information and independent practitioners.
Due to a number of factors the Laura Johnson Home cannot facilitate treatments or action within the Laura Johnson Residential Aged Care Home.
While the Laura Johnson Home does not directly provide Voluntary Assisted Dying as a service at our home, we uphold the rights of people to access information and connect them to the appropriate information services.
The Laura Johnson Home will adopt the following principles to assist our residents, families and staff.
Guiding Principles
This specifically requires that:
DEFINITIONS
In this policy statement, the following words have the following meanings:
People we support or person we support:
all residents and families who access support from the Laura Johnson Home
Palliative Care:
an approach that seeks to improve the quality of life of our residents (and their families) who are facing difficulties with life-threatening illness through the prevention and relief of suffering (whether this suffering is physical, psychological and/or spiritual) by means of early identification, assessment and treatment of pain and other difficulties.
End of Life Care:
includes physical, spiritual and psychosocial assessment, care and treatment delivered by health professionals and GP’s and external professionals such as Specialist Palliative Care Rural Telehealth (SParTA) and support for families and carers, and care of the persons’ body after their death.
Voluntary Assisted Dying:
the administration of a voluntary assisted dying substance and includes steps reasonably related to that administration.
Voluntary Assisted Dying Substance:
a substance approved by the Chief Executive under section 160 of the Act. (Note: under section 160 of the Act the Chief Executive may approve an S4 substance or S8 substance, or a combination of those substances, for use under this Act for the purpose of causing a person’s death.)