At Exit, a good death is considered a fundamental human right. Indeed, as our tagline says ‘a peaceful death is everybody’s right’. It is not only for the terminally ill. Whether this means electing to die at home by employing one of the methods outlined in this Handbook or embracing a hospital admission in the time of COVID, the underlying themes of the discussion of this Chapter are personal choice and individual responsibility.
None of us would want to expose a loved one to serious criminal charges for helping us get the good death that we wanted. It is our choice to be prepared for our death. And it is our responsibility to safeguard those we love in the process.
As Philip Nitschke says at every Exit workshop he has ever held: ‘if you are well enough to attend today’s workshop, you are well enough to get an Exit plan in place’.
Since COVID-19, the themes of choice and responsibility are all around us. Do we want to take our chances in hospital? Do we want fight to ensure we are allocated our fair share of the resources? Do we trust the system? The best we can do when we have precious few answers to our questions is to be prepared in every way we know how.