Statement made on 05 May 2010 by Senator Jane Cordy
Hon. Jane Cordy:
Honourable senators, this week is National Hospice Palliative Care Week, which is a one-week campaign that focuses on raising awareness about hospice palliative care. It is a time to celebrate, to recognize and to share the achievements of hospice palliative care throughout Canada.
This week's campaign is coordinated by the Quality End-of-Life Care Coalition of Canada, which is a network of 33 national organizations representing professional and family caregivers, volunteers, health care professionals and those with terminal illnesses along with their families.
The Quality End-of-Life Care Coalition of Canada believes that all Canadians have the right to quality end-of-life care that allows them to die with dignity, free of pain, surrounded by their loved ones, in the setting of their choice.
There is a growing demand for hospice palliative care in Canada. Nearly 259,000 Canadians die each year, and those who die of chronic diseases account for 70 per cent. Of the people who need hospice palliative care services, only 36 per cent have access to it, and when we look at those living in rural and remote locations, that percentage drops considerably.
With the aging of our population, by 2026, the number of Canadians dying each year will increase by 40 per cent, to 330,000 a year.
Honourable senators, most Canadians would prefer to die at home surrounded by family and friends. Most, however, are still dying in hospitals or long-term care homes.
I take this opportunity to thank Senator Carstairs for the work she has done in the field of palliative care. As a minister, she brought the quality end-of-life care issue to cabinet and to all Canadians.
All medical schools in Canada now educate physicians in palliative care. Programs for nurses, social workers and pharmacists include training in end-of-life care. This change can be attributed to the work that Senator Carstairs has done and the work she continues to do with a passion.
Honourable senators, it is important that Canadians plan for their own end-of-life care. We need to encourage more dialogue and more planning for death while we are living. High-quality palliative care should be an integral part of our health care system, and it should be available in hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices and homes.
As Peter Mansbridge, the honorary chair of the National Hospice Palliative Care Week stated:
Hospice palliative care is about seeing someone with a life limiting illness as a living person, not a dying patient. It is about adding life to days and supporting the caregivers, family and friends.