Aged care homes criticised over access to voluntary assisted dying

Aged care homes criticised over access to voluntary assisted dying

04 May 2026

The report from Go Gentle Australia reviewed 70 major aged care providers covering around 130,000 beds. It found 73% either do not offer VAD or have unclear policies, while only 10% provide full and clear information with access.

It also found little improvement from last year, despite efforts to encourage better transparency from providers.

One case in Victoria highlighted in the report described a family being forced to move their mother back to hospital so she could be assessed for VAD, after the aged care facility did not allow a VAD-approved GP to visit her. She was eventually able to access VAD three weeks later.

GP expert Dr Anthony Marinucci said the findings show a “serious transparency problem” in residential aged care.

He said aged care homes are people’s homes, and families should know in advance what end-of-life options are available.

“Transparency is not about supporting or opposing VAD,” he said. “It is about informed consent and good clinical care.”

Chief executive of Go Gentle Australia Dr Linda Swan said the system is not meeting expectations and many residents are not being given clear information about their legal rights.

The report also found some providers are unclear or inconsistent in their information, including mixing up VAD with suicide, using outdated content, or relying on technical language that is hard for families to understand.

VAD has been legalised across several Australian states since Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation in Victoria first came into effect in 2019, with other states following.

Dr Marinucci said even if staff or providers have personal objections, residents should still be given timely information and access to services without unnecessary delays or transfers.

He added that most people who access VAD also receive palliative care, and said end-of-life requests should lead to more support, not less.

 
https://www1.racgp.org.au/

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