Palliative care: what is it and what does it do

Palliative care: what is it and what does it do

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Palliative care: what is it and what does it do?

Written by Derek Miedema, researcher at the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada

When Bill-C-384, drafted to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, was defeated by a margin of 228 to 59 on April 21, 2010, parliamentarians heard and acted on the wishes of the majority of Canadians. Instead, many MPs stated that we need to improve end-of-life care in Canada. Palliative care is one of the chief means to accomplish this.

What is palliative care?

The definition of palliative care by Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice and palliative care movement, is clear and to the point: “We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die."

Instead of agreeing that a loved one is a burden who would be best dead, palliative care workers walk with patients and their families through the process of natural death.

To read the rest of this article please go to http://www.todaysfamilynews.ca/Health/palliative-care-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-do.html?utm_source=TFN&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TFN+2010-08+feature+article+Palliative+care%3A+what+is+it+and+what+does+it+do?