Quality, not cost, is key to ‘end of life’ debate

Re “For boomers, end of life chat in their face” ( Column, June 19) —

Premier Kathleen Wynne tells columnist Christina Blizzard that we need to have a chat about “end of life” decisions. And she is absolutely right. Each of us should have that discussion with our family while we are well and able to do so. Writing down what we want and sharing it with family and our family doctor can save us treatments that we do not wish, and free our families from the guilt of wondering if they got it right.

However, I disagree with the aligning of this “end of life chat” with the feared costs of future health care for aging baby boomers. When the baby boom began after the Second World War suddenly there was great need for more schools, more universities. And we did it, adapting and expanding very quickly. We continue to be resourceful and adaptable people and we will learn quickly how to provide appropriate health care for aging baby boomers.

The health care system, without prior instructions from the patient, sometimes seems to continue to offer medical pro- cedures until death or until the person/ family in some way manage to say: “Stop.” The good part is that the system does not refuse care to very frail people who may wish all that technology has to offer. The flaw is that sometimes it is hard to stop that system once it is in motion. Talking about Advance Care Planning (or “end of life chat” if you prefer to call it that) is the way to open the dialogue to make wishes known.

Excellent material to facilitate this conversation is available free at the website of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. I encourage everyone to take a look. THERESA MORRIS

RR 3, Lakefield