End of Life care

[surgimus]

What are peoples feelings about end of life care. As canadian population ages, there will be a growing need for long term care, do you think this should be the responsibility of Medicare to support? At what point should medical services end, and what kind of focus should we have at this end of life period? Ofcourse comfort and dying in dignity are priorities, but what else should we consider and, once again, whose responsibility is it to achieve tihs?

[Darla]

What are peoples feelings about end of life care. As canadian population ages, there will be a growing need for long term care, do you think this should be the responsibility of Medicare to support? At what point should medical services end, and what kind of focus should we have at this end of life period? Ofcourse comfort and dying in dignity are priorities, but what else should we consider and, once again, whose responsibility is it to achieve tihs?

 

 

I'm not sure what you're getting at with these questions. There's a speciality devoted entirely to the comfort of those in the end stages of disease (palliative care). You can get to from most residencies - paeds, internal meds, family meds for example. Testing stops, treatment that has long term rather than short term effects stops and the focus is put on making the patient as comfortable as possible during the time they have left. I guess that cuts down on the cost to Medicare too.

[Satsuma]

What are peoples feelings about end of life care. As canadian population ages, there will be a growing need for long term care, do you think this should be the responsibility of Medicare to support? At what point should medical services end, and what kind of focus should we have at this end of life period? Ofcourse comfort and dying in dignity are priorities, but what else should we consider and, once again, whose responsibility is it to achieve tihs?

 

fyi end of life care and long-term care are not the same thing.

 

As for the termination of medical services....well, they'd terminate when you are dead...until then you have every right to receive medical care!

[kapers]

I recently listened to a CBC radio show on this topic. White Coat Black Art is the program, its very good. The episode is called "Futility"

[optimist786]

I was listening to the episode about ER long wait-times etc .. and was confused about something -- the private clinics: are they allowed? under the Canada Health Act? :S