The Reality of Modern Dying: Navigating Canada’s Healthcare Crisis at the End of Life

Canada’s healthcare system is facing an unprecedented strain. Emergency rooms are overcrowded, and staff are stretched to their limits. Data from Statistics Canada reveals that a growing and shifting population, along with Baby Boomers, who make up 21% of our population, accounts for 35-40% of annual deaths nationwide. Truthfully, we are at the very beginning of our peak wave. Half of the boomers are projected to pass away around 2032. This is when they will turn 86 years old (the statistically expected lifespan in 2032).

The Wave Has Yet to Peak

The largest number of boomer deaths will not occur until 2049, according to Visual Capitalist. If we are struggling now, how will we manage in just over 20 years? Hospitals are over capacity while the boomer generation is just entering their 80s. This is one reason I decided to become an end-of-life doula. The peak requirement for end-of-life care is going to skyrocket in the next decade.

Reclaiming the Sacred in a System Under Strain

Behind these heavy statistics are real people and real families, and real moments that deserve a safe space. Our loved ones can choose what that safe space looks like, and this is where I step in. When I look at my career and the vast experiences I have had, I realize I have come full circle. I always had a passion for food, and I went to Culinary Arts when I was quite young. I decided to leave the industry, and I became a massage therapist. I had an amazing career for 20 years, and I retired due to injuries. I went back to school and got a BBA in HR. It didn’t take me long to realize not all people are meant to sit at a desk, and I was one of them. My dad fell ill, and I had to move towns to care for him, as I am an only child. I lost a job, but I realized I was good at advocating for Dad, helping him, and loving him in the final stages of his life. This is when I discovered what a Death Doula is, and I was on board!

What is a Death Doula?

I prefer the term end-of-life doula, but they are one and the same. The reason I call it an end-of-life doula is that I am doing so much more than dealing with a dying person. I approach this with holistic, whole-family centered care. I can care for the whole family, so that is what I do! As a reiki master, I can help ground the home and the family. I also cook meals in the home and care for pets. I make meaningful legacy projects so the family will have these memories for generations to come.

Advocacy as an End-of-Life Doula

In a medical system that is stretched to its limits, advocacy means protecting that space around a dying person so they and the family can breathe. As a non-medical professional, I am not here to challenge medical teams, but to act as a buffer and work WITH medical teams. I help families navigate complex systems and terminology, organize goals of care, and articulate wishes if they are too overwhelmed to speak.

I make sure needs and wants are respected, shielding a room from clinical noise, and making sure advocacy bridges the gap between a sterile system and a sanctuary. A doula ensures dignity stays intact right until the very end. The stress families face when dealing with active dying is overwhelming. Having a doula offer different services with a safe space provides families the biggest gift of all: time. This is a sanctuary built on three essential needs: time to breathe, physical nourishment for the body, and peaceful energy for the soul.