End of Life Glossary
- Xing Brew
- Sep 6, 2024
- 6 min read
Navigating end of life care and processes can be overwhelming, especially when faced with unfamiliar terms and concepts. Understanding the language of end of life planning is crucial for making informed decisions that honour your wishes and those of your loved ones. This glossary is designed to provide clear definitions of key terms related to end of life care and processes (with notes on those specific to Ontario and Canada), helping you to better understand the options available and to plan with confidence. Whether you're beginning to think about advance care planning or supporting a loved one through their final days, I hope this guide will serve as a valuable resource.
End of Life Planning
Advance Care Planning: The process of planning for future health and personal care, in case an individual becomes unable to make decisions for themselves. This includes identifying a Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) and expressing wishes about treatment preferences.
Substitute Decision Maker (SDM): A person chosen to make healthcare decisions on behalf of someone who is unable to do so. In Ontario, the SDM is typically appointed through a Power of Attorney for Personal Care.
Power of Attorney:
In Ontario Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document that grants someone you trust the authority to make decisions on your behalf. The scope can be general or limited to specific acts, such as paying bills, investing assets, or making healthcare decisions. The person who grants this authority is known as the "grantor" or "maker" of the document.
In Ontario, there are two main types of POA documents:
Power of Attorney for Personal Care: A legal document in which an individual appoints someone to make personal care decisions, including health care, shelter, nutrition, and safety, if they become incapable of making those decisions themselves. Typically, a spouse, relative, or close friend who is familiar with your wishes and has good judgment is chosen for this role.
Power of Attorney for Property: A legal document that gives someone the authority to manage your finances and property on your behalf if you become unable to do so (e.g., if you are medically incapacitated).
Living Will: A type of advance directive that records an individual's wishes about medical treatment and care in the event that they are unable to communicate these decisions themselves. Unlike a POA, this is not a legal document and does not need to name anyone or be drafted in a particular way.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order: A DNR order is a legal document that instructs healthcare providers not to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or other life-saving measures if a person's heart stops beating or if they stop breathing. (Some individuals prefer not to undergo aggressive medical interventions at the end of life, especially if they are already suffering from a terminal illness or in advanced stages of decline. Once signed, a DNR order should be shared with medical personnel.
Will: Also referred to more formally as a Last will and Testament, a Will is legal document that outlines how a person's assets and property will be distributed after their death. It may also include instructions for guardianship of minor children. While a Will is a legal document, you don't need a lawyer to prepare one.
Executor: An individual appointed to carry out the terms of your will. They are responsible for managing your estate, including assets and debts, and ensuring that your final wishes are executed as planned.
Estate: The total property, assets, and liabilities left by an individual at their death.
Probate: Probate is the legal process of administering a deceased person’s estate, which involves verifying and executing their will (if they have one) or managing the distribution of their assets according to the law if there is no will.
Probate Lawyer: A lawyer who specializes in managing the probate process, helping executors fulfill their duties, and ensuring that the estate is properly administered.
Types of care
Palliative Care: Palliative care refers to care for patients and their families who are facing a serious, life-limiting illness. It is is patient-centred and aims to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for patients and their families at all stages of the illness. Palliative care focuses on a holistic approach to treat the impact that an illness has on patients and is often provided in addition to clinical care that focuses on treating the illness itself. It can be provided in individual homes, residential and community-based hospices, long-term care homes, and hospitals.
Hospice Care: Hospice is a type of care focused on providing comfort, pain management, and emotional support to individuals who are in the final stages of a terminal illness, typically when a cure is no longer possible or when the patient has chosen to stop seeking curative treatments. The goal of hospice is to enhance the quality of life rather than prolong it. Hospice care addresses not only the physical needs of the patient but also their emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs. This care extends to the family as well, offering support and counselling before and after the patient's death.
Long-Term Care Home: A residential facility providing 24-hour nursing care, personal care, and other support services for individuals who are unable to live independently and require significant assistance with daily activities.
Post-Mortem Processes & Celebrations
Funeral: A ceremony or service held to honor and remember a deceased person. It can include various customs and rituals depending on cultural and religious practices.
Cremation: A method of body disposition involving burning the deceased's body, reducing it to ashes.
Embalming: A process used to preserve a deceased person’s body, typically for viewing during a funeral or to delay decomposition if burial or transportation will not occur immediately. It involves the use a formaldehyde-based chemical mixture to temporarily halt the natural process of decay, allowing the body to maintain a more lifelike appearance.
Wake: A gathering held to honor and remember a deceased person, usually before the funeral. Traditionally, it involved family and friends keeping vigil over the body of the deceased, but in modern times, it often serves as an opportunity for loved ones to come together, share memories, and offer support to the grieving family. In some wakes, the body of the deceased is present, often in an open casket, allowing family and friends to say their final goodbyes. However, wakes can also be held without the body, depending on cultural or personal preferences.
Visitation: A scheduled time before a funeral where family and friends can view the deceased and offer condolences to the family, often held at a funeral home.
Interment: The burial of a body or cremated remains in the ground, typically in a cemetery.
Other
Bereavement Leave: In Ontario, most employees have the right to take up to two days of unpaid job-protected leave each calendar year because of the death of certain family members. This is known as bereavement leave. Bereavement leave can be taken at the time of the family member’s death, or sometime later to attend a funeral or memorial service. It could also be taken to attend to estate matters. (Click here to learn more)
Death Certificate: An official document issued by the provincial government that provides legal proof of an individual's death. It is often required for closing accounts, settling estates, and claiming life insurance.
EI Caregiving Benefits: Canada's EI caregiving benefits provide financial assistance while you’re away from work to care for or support a critically ill or injured person or someone needing end-of-life care. Individuals can receive 55% of their earnings, up to a maximum of $668 a week. (Click here to learn more)
Executor's Year: A legal term in Ontario (and in many other jurisdictions) that refers to the one-year period following the death of a person during which the executor or administrator of the deceased's estate is expected to complete the basic administration of the estate. This period allows the executor to gather assets, pay debts, and begin the process of distributing the estate to beneficiaries. The Executor's Year exists to give the executor sufficient time to properly handle the deceased's affairs, ensuring that the estate's debts and taxes are settled before distributions are made. It also protects the executor from pressure by beneficiaries to rush the process.
Grief Counselling: Professional support provided to individuals coping with the emotional and psychological effects of loss and bereavement.
Medical Certificate of Death: A legal document completed by a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or coroner, that certifies the death of an individual and provides details about the cause and manner of death. It is an important part of the death registration process and serves as the basis for issuing an official death certificate.
Survivor's pension: The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) survivor's pension is a monthly payment paid to the legal spouse or common-law partner of the deceased contributor. To qualify for the survivor’s pension, you must be legally married to or be the common-law partner of a deceased CPP contributor. (Click here to learn more)