Editor: Every year more than 259,000 Canadians die. Seventy five per cent of all deaths occur in acute care hospitals or long term care facilities.
A large majority of those experience suffering and could benefit from the services offered by hospice palliative care, which focuses on relief of suffering and improving quality of life.
Statistics Canada projected the rate of deaths in Canada to increase by 33 per cent by the year 2020.
Will Canada be prepared to provide hospice palliative care and services?
Unfortunately, the answer is no.
Let us hope for leaders in government to recognize the need for increased hospice and palliative care services and may governments provide funding to enhance quality end of life care in Canada.
Joy Raymond,
Langley
More money is needed
Editor: Thousands of Canadians are suffering unnecessarily each year because they do not have access to palliative care.
Access to palliative care in Canada is between 16 and 30 per cent.
Canada’s population is aging. It is a lot cheaper for the government to use euthanasia and assisted suicide than have people in palliative care. That’s why we need more money for palliative care.
Dean Clark,
Langley