Hosted by Helen Bauer, BSN RN CHPN; published April 2026 “When Kate Christie’s mom chose to utilize VSED at the end of her life, Kate became a caregiver and advocate, never losing sight of her role as a daughter. Kate’s mom faced a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and made the choice to use VSED (Voluntarily […]
Reblog The Heart of Hospice Podcast: What You Need to Know about VSED Read More »
On Saturday, April 18, at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, Wendy Longacre Brown and Sarah Longacre held a panel discussion in Bellingham, WA, home to VSED Resources Northwest. Longtime VRNW board member Kate Christie, author of The VSED Handbook, participated in the panel, as did Phyllis Shacter, author of Choosing to Die, and Erin Mae Glass, attorney
Video: “The Cheryl Hauser Effect” Film Preview and Panel, 4/18/26 Read More »
VRNW board member Kate Christie recently offered an introduction to VSED via Zoom to a residential facility in California. The presentation focused on the basics of voluntarily stopping eating and drinking, including the following topics: In addition to exploring clinical information about VSED, Christie explained how both of her parents used VSED to hasten their
New VSED 101 Video from VSED Resources NW Read More »
From Diane Hullet, End of Life Doula, Podcaster, and founder of Best Life Best Death (BLBD) podcast, episode #201: “On BLBD episode #145, one year ago, Kate [author of The VSED Handbook] and I talked extensively about VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking. Her mother chose VSED to hasten her death, and we discussed her
Reblog: Best Life Best Death Podcast #201, VSED Part 3: An Update – Kate Christie Read More »
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
GeriPal Podcast on issues around SED, VSED, and MAiD Read More »
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
Reducing Fear from a Life with Alzheimer’s Read More »
The first issue of the Journal of Aid-in-Dying Medicine has now been published online. The Journal is online only; i.e., there is no print version. The Journal is also open access, meaning that anyone can read it. There is no paywall for any articles, thanks to advertisers. Some highlights from this first issue: A discussion
New journal on medical-aid-in-dying (MAID) Read More »
Recently, VSED Resources Northwest coordinator and co-founder Nancy Simmers published a piece on the Good Death Society blog, a project of Final Exit Network (FEN). To read more, visit Sharing VSED Resources In My Community – The Good Death Society Blog.
Reblog: Sharing VSED Resources via The Good Death Society Blog Read More »
Novelist and VRNW member Kate Christie, whose mother Jane used VSED in early 2020 to escape the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease, has released a new book, The VSED Handbook: A Practical Guide to Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking. A combination instructional manual/personal memoir, The VSED Handbook provides detailed instructions for planning and carrying out
Book Release: The VSED Handbook by Kate Christie Read More »
By Andrea Fenwick One of the things that I learned from being a hospice volunteer is that hearing is the last sense that we lose before we die. Even after someone has died, speaking words of kindness, love, and peace offer comfort to those still living; and singing can soothe and bring a sense of
Offering Comfort Through Song Read More »
