Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) and dementia in Australia: An exploratory study

The study aims to further the evidence base on voluntary assisted dying for people living with dementia and combines review methodologies and empirical methods to 

1. collate existing research on this topic and 
2. ascertain views from various stakeholders on this issue. 

This will be used to identify and evaluate possible models that could allow people living with dementia to access voluntary assisted dying, if desired. 

We are looking to engage people living with dementia and carers in two stages of our research. 

Firstly, to ascertain initial views on voluntary assisted dying for people living with dementia. This will involve participation in an online semi-structured interview either as a dyad (i.e. person living with dementia and their carer) or carer-only interview (limited to cases where the person living with dementia the person cares/cared for no longer has capacity to participate or is now deceased). 

For the second part of the project we are seeking people living with dementia and their carers to participate in a citizens' jury where different models of voluntary assisted dying, would be tested. 

Currently we are only seeking recruitment with respect to interviews, as the citizens' jury reflects a later stage.