Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) means an eligible person can ask for medical help to end their life. This service came into effect in NSW in 2023, and as of November 3 2025, is now offered in the ACT. 

‘Voluntary’ means it’s the person’s own free choice to access VAD and they must have the capacity to make this decision themselves. 

The person must have an advanced and progressive disease, illness, or medical condition that is expected to cause their death within six months (or 12 months for neurodegenerative diseases, such as motor neurone disease). They must also be experiencing suffering that can’t be relieved in a way that is acceptable to them. 

VAD medication is either:  

• Self-administered – where the person takes the medication themselves  

• Practitioner-administered – where a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or registered nurse administers the medication to the person requesting VAD. 

Living in a residential aged care service does not impact a person’s right and ability to choose to access VAD. Residents have the right to choose to access VAD even where the provider has made the decision not to participate in the VAD process. Warrigal recognises that any eligible person in NSW and the ACT has the legal right to access VAD, and we have a responsibility to support our residents’ right to exercise choice in our Residential Care Homes.

For more information about VAD, or if you have any questions, please access the following resources:  

• Voluntary Assisted Dying – Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Australian Government
• Voluntary Assisted Dying in NSW – NSW Health
• Voluntary Assisted Dying Board – NSW Health
• Accessing Voluntary Assisted Dying in the ACT – ACT Government
• ACT Voluntary Assisted Dying – ACT Government