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End-of-life choices: Only 1 in 6 aged care homes tell you about THIS life-altering choice

Health & Wellness

End-of-life choices: Only 1 in 6 aged care homes tell you about THIS life-altering choice

1759284717376.png End-of-life choices: Only 1 in 6 aged care homes tell you about THIS life-altering choice
Only a few homes share end-of-life options. Image source: Pexels/SHVETS production | Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.

Content Warning: This article discusses end-of-life care and voluntary assisted dying.




Aged care in Australia is on the brink of a transformation, but one glaring problem has been exposed.


Most residential facilities are failing to provide older Australians with essential information about their legal end-of-life options.



Families are being left in the dark, often learning about crucial choices far too late.




With major reforms to the Aged Care Act set to commence on 1 November 2025, residents will soon gain stronger rights and protections than ever before.


Just two days later, voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws will come into effect in the ACT, completing the legal framework across every state and territory except the Northern Territory.


Yet a disturbing new study presented at the Ageing Australia Conference revealed that despite VAD being legal nationwide, only 15 per cent of residential aged care providers offered access to VAD or supplied any information about it to residents.


Conducted by Go Gentle Australia in partnership with OPAN (Older Persons Advocacy Network), the research exposed critical information gaps that are leaving older Australians to make life-altering decisions without full knowledge.


In this article



The shocking scale of the problem


The study examined 72 providers responsible for caring for almost 70 per cent of the national residential aged care population, making it one of the most comprehensive investigations into this issue.


Only four providers—just 5 per cent—gave residents and their families 'comprehensive information and full access to VAD.'



'Older people have a legal right to know about VAD, where it is available and what support will be offered at the end of life.'

Dr Linda Swan, Go Gentle Australia


This means 85 per cent of aged care homes either do not provide VAD access or fail to inform residents about the legal option, despite it being available across the country.


Dr Linda Swan highlighted the human cost of this information gap, recounting conversations with residents who only discovered VAD when it was 'too late,' and families whose loved one's suffering was prolonged unnecessarily.


The lack of information has forced some frail and ill residents to move from their homes simply to access VAD—a traumatic disruption that could often be avoided with proper planning and transparency.




Understanding the legal landscape


These findings come as the aged care sector prepares for its most significant legal overhaul in decades.


The new Aged Care Act, effective 1 November 2025, will introduce a rights-based framework designed to place residents’ choices at the centre of care delivery.


Currently, residential facilities must allow all residents—whether temporary or permanent—to access information about VAD, including facilitating it if a resident requests details.


They are also required to provide access to qualified health practitioners or other relevant individuals who can explain VAD or respond to requests.



VAD by the numbers


More than 8,000 people have applied for VAD since it first became legal in Victoria in 2019, with applications increasing in all states over time.


Approximately 75 per cent of people accessing VAD were 65 or older, and over 80 per cent had cancer, emphasising why aged care residents need access to comprehensive end-of-life information.





Real-world impact on families


Craig Gear, CEO of OPAN, stressed that the issue is not about taking a stance for or against VAD, but about ensuring older Australians and their families have the clarity needed during profoundly personal times.


'Residential aged care is someone's home,' he explained, noting that inadequate information is particularly harmful for residents in rural and regional areas, where relocation to access VAD can be both 'harmful and unrealistic.'


Clear communication from providers helps older Australians avoid distressing and unnecessary transfers.


Families already navigating terminal illness face additional trauma when loved ones must relocate simply to exercise legal rights, a burden that could be minimised with transparent information.




What comprehensive information looks like


The report identified a small number of providers as examples of best practice, including Uniting ACT.NSW and OneCare Tasmania, which gave comprehensive public information and direct access to VAD.



Best practice provider approach



  • Clearly state their position on VAD on their website and in admission materials

  • Explain exactly what services they can and cannot provide

  • Outline support for residents who choose VAD, even if the provider does not participate directly

  • Provide information about external support services and care navigators

  • Explain processes for arranging transfers if required

  • Offer clear timelines and contact details





Your rights as a consumer


Australian Consumer Law and aged care legislation guarantee residents the right to make informed choices about care and accommodation.



Questions to ask aged care providers



  • What is the facility’s specific policy on voluntary assisted dying?

  • How do you support residents who wish to explore end-of-life options?

  • What information do you provide about external VAD services and care navigators?

  • What is your process if a resident’s preferences change after admission?

  • How do you facilitate access to VAD services if you do not provide them directly?



Did you know?


Did you know? VAD care navigators exist in all states to provide free support and advice to people accessing or seeking access to VAD, their families, carers, and health professionals—even if the residential facility does not participate directly.


November 2025: a new era for aged care rights


The new Aged Care Act introduces a 'rights-based framework,' prioritising residents’ choices over provider and funding considerations.


For VAD, the combination of strengthened aged care rights and the ACT’s new laws marks a pivotal change in how end-of-life issues are addressed nationwide.


Regional challenges require creative solutions


Regional and remote Australians face particular difficulties when aged care providers do not supply comprehensive VAD information.


Alternatives may require relocation, sometimes hundreds of kilometres from family or community supports.


Telehealth offers a potential solution, though federal laws currently create barriers, and recent court rulings have clarified that some telehealth consultations for VAD may not be legally permissible.


This makes transparency from local providers essential, allowing residents and families to plan ahead.




Moving forward: what this means for you


What This Means For You


Only 15 per cent of Australian residential aged care providers currently offer access to voluntary assisted dying (VAD) or provide information about it, leaving the vast majority of seniors without guidance on this important legal option.


The new Aged Care Act and ACT VAD laws, coming into effect in November 2025, are designed to strengthen residents’ rights and ensure they have access to the information and support they need.


However, the current lack of transparency means some residents are forced to relocate from their homes to access VAD, creating unnecessary trauma and stress for both them and their families.


Providers that follow best practice clearly communicate their policies, offer support to residents exploring end-of-life options, and connect families with external resources, setting a standard that all aged care facilities should aspire to.


For seniors and their families, understanding these gaps is crucial—knowing which providers are transparent about VAD can make the difference between a stressful, disempowering experience and one where end-of-life choices are respected and supported.



If you want to explore how end-of-life choices are managed in more complex medical situations, there’s a detailed story that sheds light on this issue.


It looks specifically at cases where cognitive conditions affect decision-making, highlighting the legal and practical challenges involved.


Following this piece can give a clearer picture of what options are available and how families navigate these difficult decisions.


Read more: What voluntary assisted dying options are available for those with dementia?






What questions will you be asking your aged care provider about their end-of-life policies?

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GPs are the ones who are joking.

They know SFA about the pain and agony of those suffering from a chronic illness.

EXHIBIT A....my Mum.
My friend, who is a retired nurse, told me that when she was doing her nursing training, they were taught a patient's pain is what THEY say it is.
She said, on many occasions, she wondered if Drs had actually been taught that, as quite often they would comment they thought the patient was exaggerating.
There are times also when morphine is just not the answer.
I think everybody should have this discussion with their family a long time prior to when you they are so incapacitatedthat they are not able to make this decision.
 
SDC is not helping the sharing of this information with its content warning at the top of this article.
"Simples," as that new Strayan resident says.
If you don't want to know anything about it, then just don't read anything about it.
If you hear anything about it on the rayjo or the teevee, just stick your fngers in your ears until the danger has passed.
If you don't want anybody else to know anything about it, just don't tell them.
 
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Yes, I agree with you Suzanne, and usually residents are given morphine if in pain at the direction of their doctor.
I have to wonder why this is suddenly being pushed. The more residents that use this option the quicker they get of Centrelink payments saving the government funding.
I agree with you…I think the Govt have a strategy of cost cutting with the NDIS and Aged Care packages and pushing VAD information and gaining signatures for DNR.
 
"Simples," as that new Strayan resident says.
If you don't want to know anything about it, then just don't read anything about it.
If you hear anything about it on the rayjo or the teevee, just stick your fngers in your ears until the danger has passed.
If you don't want anybody else to know anything about it, just don't tell them.
I think David Koch has lived here for sometime although I agree he resembles on of those ‘new strayans’
 
For end of life it needs to be signed off by two doctors. The patient needs to be given no more than 12 months to live.
The palative care get involved as well as a counsellor. It takes a couple of weeks to be approved then a date and time is given. Then an IV is put in and the injection is done through that by two members of The Palative care team. It takes all up around 45 minutes

You may ask how do I know this ? My daughter is a nurse and works in a public hospital and one if her patients had end of life. Its the same procedure if its done in an aged care home or at home
When my mother was in a nursing home she became more and more agitated over time - a short space of time (maybe 1yr). She was no longer communicating and eventually bed ridden. The nursing home staff asked me if I thought she was comfortable - she was not. She was moaning as if in pain - not constantly but consistently. She would pull out any IV line they put in her (for pain relief mainly). They simply informed me that they could 'speed up' the end of life process and I agreed. Over the following couple of days they gradually increased the amount of morphine they were injecting into her, until she passed - finally peaceful again.

I too have worked in nursing homes for approx. 20yrs and am now a community support worker with aged and intellectually disadvantaged people. It is so hard to watch the decline of a fellow human being - especially if they also know what is happening to them. I am grateful that the opportunity to end pain/suffering/life is there for those who wish to use it. I only wish there were more conversations around this before it becomes someone else who has to make the decision.
 
VAD is murder...elderly are being pressured to say they're not valued by our society. Care and pain relief has been dramatically reduced to support elderly to reduce " pain and suffering"..its a slippery slope to pressure elderly, disabled, mentally ill etc to VAD rather than support them..when society and culture doesn't protect its vulnerable and innocents...it's a very sad situation...
 
VAD is murder...elderly are being pressured to say they're not valued by our society. Care and pain relief has been dramatically reduced to support elderly to reduce " pain and suffering"..its a slippery slope to pressure elderly, disabled, mentally ill etc to VAD rather than support them..when society and culture doesn't protect its vulnerable and innocents...it's a very sad situation...
This isn't really the place to debate this issue.

But I'll just point out that if we don't euthanase our pets when they are in pain in later stages of life, we can be charged with a crime.
 
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Clear and simple, a person needs to discuss what they want at the end of their life if in intolerable pain. This should be discussed by their doctor while in sound mind

No one's life should be ended unless its the decision and their decision only.

This should be discussed and a paper signed and witnessed, and kept on file.

My uncles last couple of months were murder all because they discussed end of life with him and he said NO. It was against his Christian belief's but after that he didn't trust them and felt they were trying to kill him.

I actually have him on video, in pain and screaming that they were trying to kill him.
I can't say how many times I had to run to the nursing home to settle and reassure him
 
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Reactions: Jo Piper3
This isn't really the place to debate this issue.

But I'll just point out that if we don't euthanase our pets when they are in pain in later stages of life, we can be charged with a crime.
Isn't this why these topics are posted, so each can view their opinions.

Seriously are you comparing a person's life to an animal 🙄
 
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Isn't this why these topics are posted, so each can view their opinions.

Seriously are you comparing a person's life to an animal 🙄
Humans are animals.
 
Clear and simple, a person needs to discuss what they want at the end of their life if in intolerable pain. This should be discussed by their doctor while in sound mind

No one's life should be ended unless its the decision and their decision only.

This should be discussed and a paper signed and witnessed, and kept on file.

My uncles last couple of months were murder all because they discussed end of life with him and he said NO. It was against his Christian belief's but after that he didn't trust them and felt they were trying to kill him.

I actually have him on video, in pain and screaming that they were trying to kill him.
I can't say how many times I had to run to the nursing home to settle and reassure him
Where does the Bible say we should not use VAD?
 
Thank you SDC for bringing this to
Our attention. Sadly if staff do not wish to participate, so be it. Not selfish at all. If you are not happy with the quality of a doctors advice you can always get a second opinion.
 
Yes, I agree with you Suzanne, and usually residents are given morphine if in pain at the direction of their doctor.
I have to wonder why this is suddenly being pushed. The more residents that use this option the quicker they get of Centrelink payments saving the government funding.
it has been going on for a long time for cancer
 

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