Quebec End of Life Bill Introduced
Today a controversial end of life bill is being introduced in Quebec. If passed, this would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to legalize euthanasia. The Criminal Code prohibits assisted suicide, so...
View ArticleOne week, two end of life decisions
On October 10, 2013, the B.C. Court of Appeal released its decision in Carter v. Canada, overturning a decision of the lower court that found the Criminal Code provisions against assisted suicide and...
View ArticleMom has dementia: what should I do?
Nancy’s* mother told her that she was recently diagnosed with a mild form of dementia. She said “I’m fine, it’s nothing; it just means I forget where I put my keys”. But as nothing turned to something,...
View ArticleFamily members should evaluate all options before proceeding with legal...
A woman upset by a nurse’s decision about her father’s mental capacity brought legal challenges in two different forums. One of those forums ultimately refused to hear her case due to the parallel...
View ArticleAssisted Suicide Bill on the Table… Again
Yet another physician-assisted suicide bill has been introduced into government. Similar private member’s bills have been introduced in the past but have never succeeded. The bill was introduced into...
View ArticleShould we be allowed to deny our future selves food and water?
Which “self” should prevail if the future “self” is a different person? That is the question raised in Bentley v. Maplewood Seniors Care Society, a case about a woman who wished that her future self be...
View ArticleReflections on Family Councils and the Family Councils Conference
Family Councils play an instrumental role in long-term care homes, and yet so many residents and family members have never even heard of them. Essentially, family members (and other persons of...
View ArticleDo you have an opinion about what Canada’s assisted dying laws should look like?
In February 2015 we blogged here about the Supreme Court of Canada decision to legalize physician-assisted suicide. The decision was suspended for one year so that Parliament could draft appropriate...
View ArticleHow to Reduce Abuse & Conflict Involving Powers Of Attorney (Reflections on...
It can be frustrating when laws are made or reformed without meaningful consultations with those who are actually affected. We have all thought at some point, the politicians who made this law have no...
View ArticleBill 160 could make it harder for families to protect loved ones with dementia
The Ontario government introduced a new bill (“Bill 160, Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017″) that, if passed, would create a variety of changes within our health care...
View ArticleDoes a “Do Not Resuscitate” Tattoo Have to be Followed?
A man in Florida tattooed “DO NOT RESUSCITATE” (often referred to as “DNR”) on his chest. Later in life he was brought into the emergency department in an unconscious state and his health care...
View ArticleThe gift of time: How to use the holidays to check on your family’s well-being
It is officially holiday season! With the holidays comes an opportunity to spend time with family and check on how loved ones are doing. As our relatives age or enter new stages of life, some of them...
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