Show 35 ‘Voluntary Assisted’ Dying vs ‘Assisted Suicide’ an interview with Ellie Hatto.

If someone asked you what is the distinction between Voluntary Assisted Dying and Assisted Suicide, would you be able to answer this question?

Would you know what the legal implications are of helping someone you care about in either of those situations?

For this episode of Jordan’s Space, we are speaking with our guest Ellie Hatto.

10 years ago, Ellie’s 82 year old Dad took his own life following a period of physical and mental health decline. We hear much about the highest rates in suicides being men under 50 and that suicide is the biggest killer of men and women under 35 but we don’t often hear about those in their latter years dying this way.

Was assisted dying a consideration for Ellie’s family? Listen to our conversation with Ellie as she talks about her father’s attitude towards dying; “He was quite a funny sort of character and would joke about getting a one way ticket to Switzerland”. Ellie will also share why she believes we hear much less about suicide in older people, compared with the more familiar statistics of those under 50 or under 35.

The numbers of ‘elderly’ people ending their own lives in the UK and globally is a concern and during the introduction to this episode of Jordan’s Space, Dani, Paul and Steve discuss the numbers and the reasons why people in their later years are dying by suicide.

To learn more about Ellie’s work with the social enterprise, ‘Beside Yourself’, which provides a voice for those bereaved by suicide, visit the website here.