Australian government offers euthanasia webinar for seniors

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is offering a webinar on euthanasia for seniors.

The Australian Department of Heath and Aged Care website, offers a webinar titled: Voluntary assisted dying - what you need to know on July 21, 2023. The promotion states:

Join Swinburne’s Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults for a free webinar on ageing on Friday 21 July at 4.45‑6pm AEST.

This webinar is for people employed in aged care, as well as psychologists, social workers, counsellors and volunteers who work with older adults.

Kristen Kappel is a clinical psychologist who has worked in a variety of health care settings over the past 23 years. Kristen will provide information about the eligibility for, and process involved in, voluntary assisted dying (VAD). This webinar will enable mental health professionals to respond appropriately and within legislative requirements when the topic of VAD is raised in clinical practice.

The Fraser Healthcare Authority in British Columbi, Canada is sending a slideshow promoting euthanasia to pensioners. Will Potter reported for the Daily Mail on July 1 that the slideshow was sent to people in the Fraser Health region as part of a pension package.

Canadian Health Authority promotes euthanasia to pensioners.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Fraser Health, a healthcare authority in British Columbia Canada, has been sending a slideshow promoting euthanasia to pensioners. Will Potter, reporting for the Daily Mail on July 1, obtained a copy of the slideshow promoting assisted death, that was sent to healthy pensioners. Potter reported:

The slideshow included advice on 'expressions of wanting to die', noting that it can be used to 'promote a sense of control'. Terminally ill patients are also seemingly offered the chance to die within 'a day'.

Potter explains that British Columbia had a 24% increase in euthanasia deaths in 2022 resulting in 2515 euthanasia deaths. Euthanasia has grown exponentially since March 2021 when Canada expanded the law to permit euthanasia for people who are not terminally ill. Potter explains

This was detailed in the slideshow allegedly sent by Fraser last week, which revealed its 'track system' included two options for when death is either 'reasonably foreseeable' or 'not reasonably foreseeable'.

For those whose death is 'not reasonably foreseeable', the healthcare provider said patients go through just 90 days of assessments. While symptoms that fall under the option were named as chronic pain and fibromyalgia, the Canadian government has announced plans to allow people to die under the practice solely due to mental illness by March 2024.

Potter reported that the slideshow was sent to people in the Fraser Health region as part of a pension package. Potter explains that a Canadian parliamentary committee has recently advocated for the expansion of euthanasia to children.

Amy Hasbrouck from Not Dead Yet commented to Potter on child euthanasia.

'I think it's horrible,' said Amy Hasbrouck, who campaigns against MAiD for the group Not Dead Yet.

'Teenagers are not in a good position to judge whether to commit suicide or not. Any teenagers with a disability, who's constantly told their life is useless and pitiful, will be depressed, and of course they're going to want to die.'

Christine Gauthier

Potter commented on the death of Donna Duncan (61) who died by euthanasia in October 2021 after experiencing mental health difficulties related to a concussion she experienced from a car accident in February 2020.

Potter then commented on Canadian military veteran Christine Gauthier:

In December, this was thrust into the spotlight when retired Army Corporal Christine Gauthier, a former Paralympian, was offered euthanasia by the Canadian government when she complained about delays to having a wheelchair lift installed in her home.

After years of frustrating delays in getting the home lift, Gauthier says a caseworker told her: 'Madam, if you are really so desperate, we can give you medical assistance in dying now.'

Alan Nichols died in the Fraser Health Region in August 2019. Alan was depressed and living with suicidal ideation. His request to be killed was taken as a request for euthanasia. Instead of being treated for suicidal ideation, as he had received in previous experiences with suicidal ideation, but rather he was approved for and died by euthanasia, even though his family begged the doctors who approved his death to re-assess him.