Thousands in N.L. 'suffer hideously,' palliative care report finds

A scathing report has found that few of the people who die in Newfoundland and Labrador have access to appropriate palliative care, and spend their final days in needless anguish.

"Throughout Newfoundland and Labrador many of the most vulnerable, terminally ill and those with life-limiting illnesses continue to suffer hideously," says a needs assessment report completed last fall for the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre in St. John's. CBC News obtained a copy of the report, which has not yet been publicly released.

"They struggle daily for medications and services and such as medical care, home care, nursing and medical care. They struggle through the bureaucratic roller-coaster of endless paperwork for admission to acute care, respite care, palliative care and long-term care facilities because of the lack of these same basic services in their individual communities."

The report, written by Fiona O'Shea, found that palliative care is currently a specialized service available to less than 10 per cent of the people who die in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The report found that the lack of services is only bound to become more serious, as cancer is expected to eclipse cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Peter Dawe, executive director of the Canadian Cancer Society's Newfoundland and Labrador division, said the report's findings are shocking, yet not surprising.

"The vast majority of our population don't have insurance plans for medications," Dawe told CBC News.

"You're talking about the basis of keeping someone comfortable in their own home."

The report recommends spending almost $13.6 million per year for medical care, education and research to expand the offering of palliative care.

"Only then can each member of the public be assured of a peaceful and comfortable death regardless of where they live in Newfoundland and Labrador," the report says.

The report recommends that each region of the province have a team available for 24-hour support, and for each region to have facilities with designated palliative care beds.

The report says that no patient should die alone because of staffing shortages in nursing homes, and that access to equipment, like pain pumps, become a standard component in care.

In an interview, Dawe said dying patients have been left for too long to suffer, and a family's means has been a limiting factor.

"Most people in Newfoundland and Labrador don't have the financial resources to care for loved ones properly, as they go through some of these end-of-life issues," Dawe said.