Death, dying and Canadian families / : Familles Canadiennes, la mort et la mortalité

The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Vanier Institute of the Family. [...] To address this question, this report examines the historical experiences of death and dying, the changing role of families in end-of-life care and the medicalization of death and dying. [...] Facing the reality of death our “one wild and and dying can enable us to treasure our “one wild and precious life.” precious life.” DEATH, DYING AND CANADIAN FAMILIES 5 The Historical Context: Death and Dying in Canada over Time The experiences of death and dying in Canada have changed dramatically over the course of the past 120 years and particularly during the past 70 years. [...] The post-war period witnessed the growth of hospitals and increased training and specialization of physicians and nurses, but, in the absence of medicare, many could not afford the high cost of care. [...] Since 1994, there has been a decline in the proportion of deaths occurring in hospitals, with 64.7% of deaths occurring in hospitals in 2011.7 By the 1950s, both the public and the medical profession were coming to believe in “the limitless powers of science and medicine to control and cure illness.”8 Science became the new source of power and hope in certain respects replacing religion as the sou