End-of-life/VSED conversation between Lewis Cohen, Jeff Zesiger, and Fran Volkmann

/ Book corner, End of life planning, Palliative care, VSED

In late 2024, Forbes Library in Northampton, Mass., hosted a conversation about Dr. Lewis Cohen’s latest book, Winter’s End, a case study of a patient with early-onset Alzheimer’s dementia who chose to use VSED to hasten his death before the late stages of the disease. Also on the discussion panel were Dr. Jeff Zesiger, a […]

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New VSED Book: Herself to the End by Fran Volkmann

/ Book corner, End of life planning, Personal story, VSED

In May, the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Mass., published an article about a local woman’s new book, Herself to the End. Author Fran Volkmann decided to share the story of her late partner Joan Cenedella’s choice to hasten her death via VSED in order to spread awareness of VSED as a legal, valid end-of-life

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“Mr. Smith Has No Mealtimes”: Minimal Comfort Feeding for Patients with Advanced Dementia

/ End of life planning, Palliative care, VSED

A new open access article was published in February 2025 in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (JPSM). Co-authored by Hope Wechkin, Paul Menzel, Elizabeth Loggers, Thaddeus Pope, Peter Reagan, and Timothy Quill, the article discusses the approach of Minimal Comfort Feeding (MCF) for cases of advanced dementia. The abstract is below. To read

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GeriPal Podcast on issues around SED, VSED, and MAiD

/ Education, Medical aid-in-dying, Palliative care, VSED

In March, GeriPal, a geriatrics and palliative care podcast, invited Hope Wechkin, medical director of EvergreenHealth home hospice, Thaddeus Pope, JD, and Dr. Joshua Briscoe on to discuss ethical issues around using an advanced directive to stop eating and drinking (SED), as well as the topic of voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) as a potential

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VSED Resources NW newsletter: The VSED Dispatch, Vol. 2, Issue 1

/ Newsletter, VRNW, VSED

VSED Resources Northwest has released the second issue of our newsletter, The VSED Dispatch, vol. 2, issue 1. This issue covers a recent organizational update, information on a new national VSED Advanced Directive, description of a new online VSED and MAiD grief group offered by Seattle-based A Sacred Passing (ASP), and other resources and information

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Using VSED and Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) to Avoid Late-Stage Dementia

/ Death with Dignity, Medical aid-in-dying, VSED

In late 2024, attorney, medical ethics expert, and VSED advocate Professor Thaddeus Pope gave a virtual talk to the Hemlock Society of San Diego about how dementia patients might be able to utilize medical-aid-in-dying to avoid late stages of their disease. As Professor Pope explains, if the patient were to begin VSED while they still

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Reducing Fear from a Life with Alzheimer’s

/ Education, End of life planning, VSED

On October 15, Seattle-based Worry-Free Wednesdays (WFW) sponsored a Seattle Town Hall panel discussion centered on the end-of-life options dementia patients have to sustain their quality of life. WFW is an end-of-life planning, education, and awareness organization helmed by the capable and energetic Wendy Norman, who moderated the October event. Speakers included attorneys Erin Mae

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Quebec to approve advance requests for MAID as of Oct. 30, 2024

/ Death with Dignity, In the news, Medical aid-in-dying, VSED

Canada’s medical assistance in dying law continues to evolve. A February 2015 Canadian Supreme Court ruling, Carter v. Canada, paved the way for the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. The following year, Parliament passed federal legislation to allow Canadian residents to request MAiD under very specific circumstances and rules; generally, visitors to Canada are not eligible. Eligibility requirements

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Wendy Mitchell: The Case for Assisted Dying in the UK

/ Book corner, Death with Dignity, Medical aid-in-dying

British co-authors Anna Wharton and Wendy Mitchell penned three bestselling books before Wendy, diagnosed in 2014 with early-onset Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, chose VSED to escape the final stages of her disease. Shortly after Wendy’s death in February 2024, Anna wrote a post for her blog, White Ink, about medical aid in dying in the

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VSED Stories: Wendy Mitchell’s Choice

/ Book corner, Medical aid-in-dying, VSED

In February 2024, after a decade-long battle with early-onset dementia, British author Wendy Mitchell chose to stop eating and drinking. She details her decision-making process in a post titled, “My final hug in a mug….” on the blog Which Me am I Today? Wendy started her blog shortly after her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s and vascular

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