Views on how and when medical measures to extend life should be taken may differ widely in Canada, but we can all agree that our systems around end-of-life care could be improved in Canada. According to research in "Death Is Natural," a report released by Cardus yesterday, 73 percent of Canadians look toward their final days with a sense of fear that their needs will not be adequately met.
At the release of the report in Ottawa, I sat down with Cardus executive vice president Ray Pennings, researcher Nik Nanos, and Dr. José Pereira of Pallium Canada to discuss this serious issue.
"Those of us who care for patients with progressive illnesses every day have witnessed how ... as a society, we don't know what the dying process is about anymore," says Dr. Pereira. "And so I think there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings."
The report is available for download here.