The VSED Handbook, written by VRNW member Kate Christie and with a foreword from VRNW co-founder Nancy Simmers, has lately gotten some attention in varying parts of the country. In February, Patient Choices Vermont–a non-profit organization dedicated to end-of-life choice–published a review on their website. Susan Gillotti, PCV Board Member, had this to say about the book:
[The VSED Handbook] is slim, just seventy-two pages, but packed full with helpful information. It offers both timelines and tips… Christie’s message is that dying by VSED can be successfully done but requires careful advance planning… Medical aid in dying might have been the Christie family’s choice – she says as much – if the law had allowed it for someone suffering from dementia. In the absence of such a law, this is a helpful book for those who are caught in the bind.
“Book Review: The VSED Handbook,” 2/24/23, by Susan Gillotti
https://www.patientchoices.org/book-reviews/book-review-vsed-handbook
In March, The Durango Herald published an article by Martha McClellan, who wrote about VSED for the news outlet’s Authentic Aging segment. McClellan had a friend who had just died via VSED, and she described The VSED Handbook in these terms:
This book offers an actionable plan emphasizing the importance of planning, palliative care and a network of support. It is a fascinating account of how one person stayed out of a memory care center. Christie also describes what to expect from each stage of the VSED process, and the highlights and challenges, and unexpected gifts of accompanying her dying mother on her final journey.
“Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking,” 3/4/23, by Martha McClellan
https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/voluntary-stopping-eating-and-drinking/
For more information on The VSED Handbook, including how your purchase helps support the work we do at VSED Resources Northwest, please check out our blog post from April 2022, BOOK RELEASE: THE VSED HANDBOOK BY KATE CHRISTIE.