By Mollie Carlile AM November 2nd 2015If you feel able, please share this post with your networks, How we do Death is the conversation we have to have! Continue reading

As New Zealanders await the judgement in the case of Lecretia Seales who has appealed to the NZ Courts to allow her doctor to assist in her suicide without legal penalty, the country's most senior palliative care specialist issues a stern warning. According to One News, the chair of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine, Dr Amanda Landers, told Seven Sharp euthanasia presents too many grey areas."How can we make sure that people aren't being coerced - the most vulnerable sector of our society?" Continue reading

By Paul Russell, HOPE Australia In November 2013, I had the distinct pleasure of travelling to Brussels for the launch of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition - Europe at the EU Parliament.The following evening my colleague and EPC International Chair, Alex Schadenberg joined Carine Brochier in debating Belgian euthanasia founders Dr Jan Berheim and Professor Etienne Vermeersch. Continue reading

This article was published in the Winnipeg Free Press on February 24, 2015 and reposted from Alex Schadenberg's blog Dr Harvey Max Chochinov holds the Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care.A few days after the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the prohibition against doctor-assisted suicide, I received a note from a wonderful colleague of mine saying that her closest friend's 53-year-old son had just died of spinal cancer. Two weeks before his death, he had visited his doctor, experiencing "terrible pain." Despite his anguish, his physician refused to give him morphine, claiming that because he was a smoker he was "more likely to become addicted." Continue reading

This post form the Total Refusal of Euthanasia Blogsite: Four palliative care providers exclude medical aid in dyingFour Quebec residences, including Maison Michel Sarrazin (first of its kind in Canada), have so far officially said they would not practice "medical aid in dying". Continue reading

Just in case you missed it, Sunday 25 May - Saturday 31 May 2014 is National Palliative Care Week in Australia.You can see what's planned and what's being talked about at the Palliative Care Australia's website HERE.Some great developments: In January, Palliative Care Australia sponsored a motion for the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Assembly held in May this year. The resolution was adopted by the Assembly. Well done!From PCA's Press Release: The resolution calls for countries to ensure that palliative care is a core part of health systems, that palliative care is embedded in the basic and continuing education and training for all health workers, and to ensure adequate access to pain medications.As we've often observed, the problem in Australia is not that we don't have the best of care available - we do - it's just that not everyone currently has access when they need it. Such is the thrust of PCA's National Palliative Care Consensus Statement.PCA CEO, Dr Yvonne Luxford, commenting on The Aging Agenda website is also calling for more attention to be given to Advance Care Planning both in public education and in the education of health service providers - particularly aged care service providers, in making sure that people's wishes are known and understood. Continue reading