ALS Patients Too Often Miss Out on End-of-Life Care, Health Quality Ontario Report Says

December 19, 2014

(The Toronto Star) – People with terminal illnesses such as ALS sometimes can’t access end-of-life care because hospices and palliative wards typically don’t have the breathing machines required by many patients, advocates say.  “To have the option to be able to go into palliative care would be wonderful,” said Eleanor Leggat, vice president of client services with ALS Canada. “That isn’t always possible.” She said some patients with the degenerative disease do die in palliative and hospice care, but that their numbers are restricted because most end-of-life facilities don’t offer special “bi pap” machines that assist breathing.