Our Niki visits her “old” Club! Niki originally came to Applecross Rotary in 2011 on a six month placement by the John Curtin Leadership Academy, and became a student member for several years, including serving as Club Secretary for two years! No wonder our longer serving members were thrilled to learn she was our guest speaker recently.
Niki was a Pharmacy student in 2011, and is now the WA Health Department Pharmacist overseeing the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Pharmacy Service.
VAD is now legal in all states (WA in 2021).
There is a rigid process to be followed, and requires applicants to begin by demonstrating that the choice made for VAD was made by a competent person, free of coercion, who is already dying.
Here is some data, collected in the year 2022-23 (with change from 2021-22) First assessments 474 (+23.4%) VAD deaths 255 (+33.5%) Median age 74 (58.8% were male) Self administered 45 (+17.6%) Practioner administered 210 (+82.4%)
The majority lived in the metro area (75.6%), and 73% had a cancer related diagnosis.
Niki was well received by members and guests and thanked for making a presentation about a topic of importance, in a careful and sensitive way. If you would like to know more Niki has provided the following - SAM'S STORY - "This is my stop" Listen as Sam shares her experience of being by her mother’s side throughout her end-of-life journey from lung cancer, and their conscious commitment to making memories as a family. Actively choosing to make the most of the time available to them, the family worked through her mother’s ‘bucket list’ before her death, using all services available to them including excellent palliative care to support her to die at home.
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