Gladu not impressed with palliative ‘Action Plan’
OTTAWA -- Health Canada’s five-year Action Plan on Palliative Care announced Aug. 20 is a “lacklustre” effort that fails to commit enough resources, says Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu.
The Church and dementia
As both a Catholic teacher and founding member of Dementia Advocacy Canada, Matt Dineen wants to visit parishes to explain what they should do to be dementia-ready and — perhaps more important — why they should do it.
Editorial: A sound decision
OTTAWA – Despite granting privileges to a palliative care physician who supports Canada’s euthanasia law, the Catholic identity of Elisabeth Bruyère Hospital is not threatened, said Ottawa’s archbishop.
Canada's new attorney general puts euthanasia expansion on ice
OTTAWA – Euthanasia opponents welcomed news that Canada’s new Attorney General David Lametti says the Liberal government has no plans to expand access to assisted suicide in the near future.
UK doctors head for vote on assisted suicide
Britain’s Royal College of Physicians has adopted a neutral position on assisted suicide until they hear back from British doctors on whether they favour changing United Kingdom laws against doctors helping their patients commit suicide.
Reports look into expansion of euthanasia law in Canada
OTTAWA – The Liberal government has promised to study three new reports on the possible expansion of the euthanasia law to include minors and those who suffer from mental disorders, but advocacy groups warn the government will likely expand the law after the 2019 election.
Hospice funds still fall short, Ontario doctors warn
Ontario’s palliative care doctors are warning that the government is not ready for “an imminent spike in the number of people facing end-of-life.”
Covenant Health revises assisted suicide policy
EDMONTON – Citing the needs of fragile patients, Covenant Health has clarified how assessments are done in its facilities for patients who want to end their lives under provisions of Canada’s assisted suicide and euthanasia law.
Canada's palliative care framework earns praise from advocates
OTTAWA – Palliative care advocates are applauding a new national framework document that has adopted an international definition of palliative care that excludes euthanasia and assisted suicide as elements of patient care.
Catholic Women's League sees hope for change with jobs attestation, palliative care
OTTAWA – Changes may be coming to the controversial Canada Summer Jobs attestation requirement, concluded a delegation from the Catholic Women’s League after a series of meetings on Parliament Hill.
Who will care for the family caregiver?
The title of family caregiver implies the act of giving care to loved ones with acute or chronic health issues. What it fails to convey is the importance of caregivers receiving care themselves — and that’s a problem, according to a new study.
Ontario backs off doctors' conscience rights court battle
OTTAWA – Ontario doctors who are suing the Ontario physicians’ college over conscience rights received good news Nov. 8 when the province of Ontario dropped its intervention on behalf of the college.
End-of-life care requires good planning
If vacations, weddings, babies and football games are important enough to require planning, why don’t we plan for sickness, frailty and dying?
EDMONTON – At what point does a health care provider become complicit in the act of medically-assisted death?