Dying to Discuss

What is the difference between palliative care, palliative sedation, stopping treatment and VAD?

Australia · 29 August 2026 · 4 min read · Reviewed by Dr Kane Treble

Palliative care, palliative sedation, stopping treatment and voluntary assisted dying are different.

General information: This page gives general information for people in Australia. It cannot give medical or legal advice about one person's situation. VAD and medical treatment decision laws differ between states and territories, and access rules can change. Confirm current rules with the relevant official service, treating team or legal adviser.

Palliative care, palliative sedation, stopping treatment and voluntary assisted dying are different. They can all arise near the end of life, but they do not have the same purpose, process or legal meaning.

Palliative care aims to improve comfort and quality of life. Palliative sedation uses sedating medicines to relieve severe symptoms that cannot be controlled in other ways. Stopping treatment means not starting or not continuing a treatment that the person refuses or that is no longer appropriate. VAD is a legal process where an eligible person chooses medical assistance to end their life.

Palliative care

Palliative care is care for people with a life-limiting illness. It can happen at home, in hospital, in aged care, in a hospice or palliative care unit. It can start long before the last days of life.

Palliative care may help with pain, breathlessness, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, family support, care planning and grief support. It does not aim to hasten death or prolong dying. A person can receive palliative care while also having other treatments, and in places where VAD is available, a person may receive palliative care while considering VAD.

Palliative sedation

Palliative sedation is the careful use of sedating medicines to lower a person's awareness when severe suffering cannot be relieved in other ways. It is usually considered for a person who is close to death and has refractory symptoms. Refractory means the symptom has not settled despite careful assessment and reasonable treatment, or further treatment would be too burdensome.

The aim is relief of suffering, not causing death. The level of sedation should be proportionate to the distress. Some people are lightly sedated. Some may be deeply or continuously sedated until death. See What is palliative sedation?.

Stopping treatment

An adult with decision-making capacity can refuse medical treatment, including treatment that may keep them alive. If the person lacks capacity, a valid advance care directive or legally authorised substitute decision-maker may guide or decide, depending on state or territory law.

Doctors are also not generally required to provide treatment that is futile or non-beneficial. Comfort care should continue. Stopping dialysis, ventilation, antibiotics, tube feeding, CPR or other treatment is not the same as VAD. The underlying illness causes death.

Voluntary assisted dying

VAD is when an eligible person gets medical assistance to end their life. It is voluntary and has strict legal safeguards. The person must meet the criteria in their state or territory and follow the required process.

As at 29 August 2026, all Australian states and territories have passed VAD legislation. Access and commencement can differ. The Northern Territory Parliament passed VAD legislation on 27 August 2026, but implementation was reported as taking about 18 months, so people should confirm current access with official NT sources.

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