Australian man denied disability support opts for 'voluntary assisted dying'

An Australia man unable to access the government's disability support services has chosen to die through Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD), saying he has no choice as he can no longer afford to live.

Key Takeaways:

• 71-year-old Tony Lewis was diagnosed with motor neuron disease last year, but cannot access Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

• The NDIS system provides personalized funding, support, and resources for people living with disabilities. Yet the cut-off age means Lewis does not qualify, and instead has been placed in My Aged Care, which provides him with less than one-third of what he could receive through NDIS.

• Lewis requires 24/7 care to help him talk, eat, and shower; most of this care is provided by his wife.

• He has begun the process of applying for VAD for when his wife is no longer able to care for him.

The Details:

According to the Courier-Mail, Lewis was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) last year. At 71, that makes him too old to access NDIS; while someone can remain in the program if they were already a participant, Australians cannot apply to join after turning 65. As Lewis was not diagnosed until he was already too old for the program, his only option is My Aged Care, with a maximum benefit of the Support at Home program just $78,100 a year.

This is significantly less than what he would be eligible through NDIS, and even through the program he does qualify for, it's still not the top aid package, despite needing 24/7 care.

Lewis has almost completely lost the ability to speak, eat, and move; his funding pays for four showers and one home visit a week. All of his other care is provided by his 65-year-old wife, but she eventually will not be strong enough care for him. At that point, he says he will opt for "voluntary assisted dying."

He also stated that he doesn't want to become a "useless lump of meat,” though his wife rejects that notion.

“I would like to think if he had appropriate care, and there was enough of it, he would be able to cope better,” his wife, Gill, said. “It would be a lot less stressful. I try to shield him from the back and forth arguments and pleas for funding because he does not need that. This month, I’m already over budget.”

She added that it takes six months just to access a new assessment for his needs, which frequently change due to the rapid onset of his disease.

Zoom In:

Clare Sullivan, CEO of MND Australia, said this is a large-scale problem, as over half of Australians diagnosed with MND are over 65.

“The sort of the social divide between the haves and the have nots is really highlighted in the MND community,” she said. “Based on nothing other than an arbitrary divide of a birthday, you can either access $300,000 or less than $100,000 in support each year. I can see why people think it’s unjust and unfair.”

Sullivan added that being able to access medical equipment can make a huge difference, but it is so expensive that people cannot afford it through My Aged Care. If people choose residential care, they end up dealing with long wait times, leading many to end up simply living in the hospital. “I know a gentleman who has been in hospital for over a year and probably won’t go home again,” she said.

The Bottom Line:

Many people with disabilities choose assisted suicide or euthanasia because they are not able to get the health care and resources they need. And as it becomes legal for doctors to kill their patients, there is even more incentive to encourage people with disabilities to die, largely because it costs significantly less money to kill someone than it does to keep them alive.