We would like to highlight the potential benefits and challenges of our end-of-life policy that we can anticipate.

End-of-life Care Policy: Pros and Cons

Pros:
- Will finally ensure that quality health care is guaranteed for those at end-of-life.
- Resources will be reflective of health care needs.
- This is a proactive step in taking measures to prepare for the aging cohort. (averting later social crisis)
- This policy stands in line with the 5 pillars of the Canadian Health Care Act- and the ideals in which Canada strives to uphold.
- Checks are put in place to ensure care- by making this delivery visible for public scrutiny (taking it out of the private realm)
- Will reduce the need for respite (thereby freeing costs allocated to this service)
- Allow for the psychological well-being of care-givers and dying loved ones- by allowing them to dye with dignity.
- Freeing the voluntary and private sector to tend to other community needs.
- Community based care creates a connection between generations- by not isolating the elderly which is mutually beneficial – creating a more cohesive community.



Cons:
- By virtue of being the first policy to specifically focus on this issue- it will take a great deal of time and communication between levels of government, and service providers to shape a functional and effective policy.- flexibility is crucial but requires labor and time.
- Difficult to ensure open dialogue between various stakeholders in end of life health care – ie social workers, nurses, caregivers, physicians etc (may result in a hierarchical relation whereby certain opinions and agendas are valued more than others)- Also it maybe difficult to reach a consensus with so many contending perspectives.
- Funding must be increased to the health care services- streamed particularly to elderly needs (chronic care) this will be challenging as the tax revenue is decreasing, while a large portion of Canadian’s are retiring on pension: therefore to meet the health care demands of its citizens- drastic cuts will need to be made elsewhere.
- End of life care education: also will be a costly endeavor (to produce and widely distribute end-of-life care manuals)