As is the custom, the start of Jewish New Year was last evening at sunset. For some, it is a fresh start and a time for reflection. For those who may not attend synagogue, it may still be recognized and celebrated with family sitting down together for a festive dinner….
Like many of you, I think about Alzheimers quite often; not only the (not so) occasional memory lapses but for anyone who lives with dementia- closely impacting their own lives- the devastation it can bring. Do we need a special awareness month to remind us? Yes we do. Most of…
With the reputation of Long Term Care Homes hitting a new low, it comes as no surprise that seniors want to grow older in their own homes. However our hospitals and our emergency departments have become a temporary holding spot for many seniors, who cannot return home. The August 25,…
In Canada, the law no longer restricts medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to people whose death is reasonably foreseeable: as of March 17, 2023, people with a mental disorder as a sole underlying medical condition (MD-SUMC) will be eligible for MAiD.
On March 25 2021, the Canadian Medical Association published their final report ‘Canada’s elder care crisis’. In this report they quantify the demand for care, on our healthy system, from a home care and long- term care perspective. This refers to the demands on the public sector and those on…
Yesterday was Father’s Day. Signs, announcements and broadcasters made it very difficult not to acknowledge the day. Is it not odd that we need to be reminded by those organizations that typically want us to purchase something? Well maybe we do need to be reminded to spend a moment either…
While the sun did shine yesterday, it was still a difficult day for many of us. I can’t even image the terrible pain as a parent and specifically as a mother- to lose a child. As a daughter I know the pain of having lost my mother. Regardless of age …
This blog has been written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP As our fellow blog writer, Audrey Miller wrote earlier this week (here), new Census data indicates that the number of seniors over age 85 is expected to triple in the next 25 years. Could this be an…
I have found it uncommon for a family member or beneficiary to exert undue influence to pressure a patient to pursue MAiD. What worries me is the vulnerability of patients to undue influence from physicians who may embrace therapeutic nihilism and bias patients unduly towards MAiD. I suggest that, for capacity to consent to MAiD, the test of “ability to appreciate” should be expanded to require an appreciation of the views and wishes of supportive family members and friends.
Fact: -one in three adults over age 85 will develop dementia -260,000 Ontarians currently live with dementia – most people living with dementia ( like all of us) prefer to remain in their community and out of long term care homes -Supporting aging in place (for all Canadians) will reduce …
