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Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region (www.HomeCareAssistance-Toronto.com), the leading provider of non-medical, in-home senior care in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), is weighing in on a study showing that Canada has the highest percentage of people dying in hospitals.A new study published in medical journal JAMA showed that Canada has the highest percentage of seniors dealing with end-of-life care in hospitals. Out of the seven countries that were part of the study, Canada topped the list with 52.1% of its seniors receiving end-of-life care in hospitals. Belgium was a close second at just over 51%, and the U.S had the lowest percentage of seniors dying in hospitals with only 22.2%. (Source: “End-of-life care in Canada more hospital-centric than in U.S, Europe,” CBC News, January 19, 2016; http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/end-of-life-palliative-hospice-1.3410064.)
“It’s not often we Canadians can learn something about healthcare from our neighbours south of the border,” says Brian Shevel, president of Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region. “But in this case, we must give credit where credit is due. The U.S is doing a far better job at providing the type of end-of-life care that seniors prefer.”
Restricting end-of-life care to hospitals is one of the factors that escalate healthcare costs for the country. However, countless studies have shown that seniors prefer to live out their days at home or somewhere private.
“That’s actually what’s odd about the proportion of Canadians dying inside of hospitals,” Shevel continues. “We know they prefer to be at home, we know that we can’t manage the medical costs that are associated with end-of-life care, yet as a country, we still haven’t figured out a way to really address the issue.”
Costs for patients in a hospital can be three to four times more than receiving palliative care at home or in a palliative care unit. The U.S National Cancer Institute, the Commonwealth Fund, and the U.S National Institute of Aging all contributed to the funding of the study.
Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region offers palliative care to families dealing with loved ones who are dying. Caregivers are trained to act practically and with sensitivity to ensure seniors are as comfortable as possible before they pass. More information can be found at www.HomeCareAssistance-Toronto.com.
Contact Info:
Name: Brian Shevel
Email: Send Email
Organization: Home Care Assistance - Toronto
Address: 3300 Rutherford Rd., Unit A6 Highlands Farm Center Vaughan, Ontario L4K 5Z2
Phone: 416-822-0204
Website: http://homecareassistance-toronto.com/
Release ID: 102577