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 and I talked extensively about VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking. Her mother chose VSED to hasten her death, and we discussed her family’s experience in detail. Well,
Reblog: Best Life Best Death Podcast #201, VSED Part 3: An Update – Kate Christie Read More »
In May and June of this year, VSED Resources board member Kate Christie joined attorney Erin Glass in presenting on VSED at two Washington-based legal conferences. The first, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, met in Seattle and attracted members from all over the country. The second, the Washington State Bar Association’s Real Property,
VRNW Member Kate Christie Presents at NAELA and WSBA Read More »
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
End-of-life/VSED conversation between Lewis Cohen, Jeff Zesiger, and Fran Volkmann Read More »
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
New VSED Book: Herself to the End by Fran Volkmann Read More »
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
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 »
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
VSED Resources NW newsletter: The VSED Dispatch, Vol. 2, Issue 1 Read More »
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
Using VSED and Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) to Avoid Late-Stage Dementia 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 »
