Humanity in long-term care. Ethical, clinical, and social challenges.

here are many challenges in providing good-quality health and social service care to the aging Canadian population, especially to frail and cognitively impaired elderly people. Despite the best efforts of families and professionals to assist elderly people in the community, the need for facility-based long-term care (LTC) is a big challenge. Remaining in the community “at all costs” is a laudable goal, but for many elderly people, admission to an LTC facility is appropriate.