70% of those who need palliative care cannot access it(1)
Better quality of life at end-of-life affects us all. In Ontario, only 10% of us will die suddenly(2); 90% of us could benefit from support at the end of life. Confronting death – whether it is our own or that of a friend or loved one – is difficult and should be approached with dignity, respect and with the support of appropriate medical care, otherwise known as palliative care.
Tragically, 70% of Canadians who need palliative care cannot access it. Family members struggle to locate appropriate help during this time of intense stress while trying to maintain a balance in their life obligations such as work and daily family needs. Too often, a patient’s last moments can be filled with pain and stress, leaving family members with feelings of guilt and profound sadness.
With seniors now making up the fastest growing age group in our society the need for palliative care is becoming urgent. If the availability of palliative care services outside the hospital system does not increase, a staggering number of deaths will occur in our acute-care system. Hospitals are already struggling to provide timely care; the burden of providing more end-of-life care will further tax precious healthcare resources.
Further compounding the need for more palliative care is society’s discomfort with death. Instead of viewing the end of life as a culmination of one’s life, it is often viewed as a failure. The lack of discussion, both in the privacy of our homes and in public forums, adds to the challenges facing palliative care. By not discussing what needs to be done we are in fact contributing to the problem. We need to have open and honest discussions about end-of-life care to make positive changes. No one should die in needless pain and discomfort because they could not access the palliative care they needed.
We need to act now to address this issue. Our friends and families can’t wait.
(1) Senator Sharon Carstairs, Raising the Bar: A Roadmap for the Future of Palliative Care in Canada, June 2010
(2) William M. Plonk Jr.Robert M. Arnold. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2005, 8(5): 1042-1054. doi:10.1089/jpm.2005.8.1042