The Baycrest Ethics department helps support clients, families and staff when they are faced with difficult ethical challenges.

Ethical challenges can arise in health-care settings in relation to a range of circumstances, including:

• End-of-life care
• Substitute decision-making
• Resolving conflicts
• Navigating cultural or religious values

While we offer support and advice, treatment decisions are the responsibility of the care team and the client or their substitute decision maker.

Baycrest values

At Baycrest, our ethical framework is part of the fabric of our organization, guiding and reinforcing our company values in all our decisions and endeavours.

This helps us ensure we are always operating with compassion, advocacy, respect and excellence.

How to request a meeting

Any staff member, patient, resident or family member can ask for a private meeting with our ethicist. Our discussions will be kept confidential unless there is a risk of harm or abuse.

We can help you:

• Understand the ethical issue you face
• Look at the facts
• Consider your values
• Think through the risks, benefits and all possible courses of action
• Help you make an informed decision
• Help resolve conflict, if needed

We work closely with other Baycrest care teams such as Spiritual Care and Social Work. We may recommend another service if that would be more helpful.

You can request a meeting through a member of your care team or by contacting our ethicist directly.