Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)

For some terminally ill people, aggressive treatment may not be helpful and may prolong the dying process. Under some circumstances, aggressive treatment may increase suffering, impair a person’s remaining quality of life, or even shorten life.

Many people are unaware that stopping treatment can result in a peaceful death. For example, people on dialysis for kidney failure may be able to die peacefully by stopping dialysis. However, stopping medical treatments may increase discomfort or suffering. Consulting with your physician and arranging for palliative (comfort) care are essential before stopping treatment.

Under some circumstances stopping treatment can be combined with hospice and palliative care and/or voluntary stopping eating and drinking (see below) to shorten the dying process and reduce suffering.

Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) is:

• An effective way to hasten death by fasting from food and water.
• Voluntary choice by person with decisional capacity.
• Deliberately chosen because of present or imminent suffering.

End of Life Washington will continue to support clients choosing VSED and will be working toward improved and expanded education, support and advocacy on VSED in the coming year.

Client Video Statement on VSED

Support and Services

Our Client Support Services can help you:

• Consider all end-of-life options. 
• Talk to your family, health care providers, and friends about end-of-life choices and VSED   
• Assist in helping create a VSED plan with individualized markers   

Request client support services for VSED:
Client Support Services form

More information:
Practical Guide to VSED – download pdf

Education and Resources

Introduction to VSED – presentation slides (pdf)

Request a speaker, presentation or Q&A session.

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Resources beyond End of Life Washington: 

VSED Resources NW: striving to increase community awareness of VSED as a conscious end-of-life choice and to further its availability and access.
Educational resources, stories and availability for consultations.

Advocacy and Public Policy

End of Life Washington plans to pursue legislation in the coming year to support end-of-life options for all Washingtonians, including establishing a person’s right to decline oral food and water during the final stages of dementia, by advance directive, the same way other terminally ill people can decline life-sustaining medical treatments.

Sign-up for our e-news to receive action alerts about this legislation and learn more.