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PALLIATIVE CARE |
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PALLIATIVE CARE |
Unfortunately, in end-of-life care, we do not have a vocal constituency: The dead are no longer here to speak, the dying often cannot speak, and the bereaved are often too over come by their loss to speak. -Harvey Chochinov, testimony before the Senate Subcommittee to update Of Life and Death, February 28, 2000 |
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Palliative care is a special kind of health care for individuals and families who are living with a life-threatening illness that is usually at an advanced stage. To learn more about palliative care, click here.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PALLIATIVE CARE
CANADIAN PALLIATIVE CARE ASSOCIATION ( CPCA )
On September 25th, 2000, Senator Carstairs was pleased to announce, on behalf of the CPCA, the launch of the final phase in the completion of national standards in hospice palliative care. Once complete the national standards will make Canada the first country in the world to have developed a national consensus on standards of practice for hospice palliative care.
CPCA has also begun a three-year project to train support workers in palliative care and to develop ways of supporting both workers and their instructors during and following the training sessions.
To learn more about the CPCA and its programs, click here.
A GUIDE TO END-OF-LIFE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
On June 7th, 2000 Senator Carstairs gave a speech at the University of Ottawa at the launch of " A Guide to End-of-Life Care for the Elderly". This initiative is directed toward establishing a manual of national guidelines to support end-of-life care for the elderly. To learn more about "A Guide to End-of-Life Care for the Elderly", click here.
IAN ANDERSON CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM IN END-OF-LIFE CARE
The Ian Anderson Continuing Education Program in End-of-Life Care will educate 10,000 primary care physicians and specialists across Canada over a five-year period to deal with issues surrounding death and dying. It will also hold conferences relevant to dying in critical sectors including healthcare institutions and educators, media and government.
The program was established with a $1 million donation to the University of Toronto from Mrs. Margaret Anderson in memory of her husband.
The program seeks to address nine areas relating to end-of-life care. 1) Palliative Care—Standards and Models, 2) Pain Management, 3) Symptom Management, 4) End-of-Life Decision Making, 5) Communication with Patients and Families, 6) Psychological Symptoms/ Bereavement Support, 7) The Last Hours, 8) Culture and 9) Conflict Management.
To learn more about this program, click here.
EXPANSION OF HOME CARE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
On October 13th, 2000, B.C. Premier Ujjal Dosanjh announced $9.3 million in additional funding to home care, under B.C’s new health action plan. This funding is in addition to $400 million the Ministry of Health has already allocated this year for home care. The new funding will enable health authorities to expand home care services, including home support, community rehabilitation and home care nursing, which will reduce pressure B.C. families face as a result of home care.
To learn more about government initiatives in palliative care in British Columbia, click here and enter palliative care in the search box on this site.
PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM EXPANSION IN WINNIPEG
At Manitoba’s 10th Annual Hospice and Palliative Care Education Conference in September, provincial Health Minister Dave Chomiak announced $2.75 million in increased funding dedicated to improving palliative care services in Winnipeg. This funding allows the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WHRA) to implement the second phase of community-based, specialized palliative services to more adequately meet the needs of people with terminal illness and their families.
To learn more about palliative care initiatives by the Government of Manitoba, click here and enter palliative care in the search box on this site.
QUALITY END-OF-LIFE CARE: THE RIGHT OF EVERY CANADIAN
On June 6th, 2000, the Subcommittee of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology released its report entitled, Quality End-of-Life Care: The Right of Every Canadian. Senator Carstairs chaired this subcommittee, which had as its mandate, to review the progress made in implementing the unanimous recommendations regarding palliative care, made in the 1995 report, Of Life and Death.
There was some movement, but overall, the Subcommittee found there had not been sufficient progress in implementing the recommendations from Of Life and Death. As a result, the Subcommittee produced 14 unanimous recommendations concerning palliative care in Canada.
To view the Subcommittee’s report, recommendations, press releases, transcripts etc., click here.
On June 6th, 1995, the Special Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide released its report entitled Of Life and Death. Although the Committee could not come to a consensus on euthanasia or assisted suicide, palliative care emerged as one of the more prominent issues during the Committee’s hearings. Witnesses supported the need to, short of allowing one to end one’s life, at the very least make the dying process as comfortable as possible for the terminally ill. The Committee supported this and issued five unanimous recommendations concerning palliative care in its report.
To view the Committee’s report, recommendations, press releases, etc., click here.
Senator Carstair’s Private Members Public Bills.
As a result of evidence from witnesses to the Of Life and Death Committee, Senator Carstairs initiated Private Members Public Bill S-13, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code ( Protection of Health Care Providers ) on November 27,1996. The bill was divided into two sections, the first dealing with the withholding and withdrawing of life sustaining treatment, and the second dealing with administration of adequate amounts of pain control.
Unfortunately, the bill died on the Order Paper with the 1997 federal election call.
Second reading Speech for Bill S-13
Senator Carstairs introduced this bill, The Medical Decisions Facilitations Act, on October 13th, 1999. Also a Private Members Public Bill, this bill revived the substance of S-13 but went further by providing for the Minister of Health to establish national guidelines, and to promote education and training in the areas of life-sustaining medical treatment, the controlling of pain and palliative care.
Unfortunately, this bill also died on the Order Paper with the first federal election call of this new millennium.
To learn more about this bill, follow this link- S-2.
Check out these Canadian links concerning palliative care.
The following is a list of speaking engagements concerning palliative care that Senator Carstairs will be delivering in the near future.
Senator Carstairs speaks about the need for quality end-of-life
care at the BT Voices for Hospices 2000 event in Ottawa.
