The W.F. Mitchell Bioethics Seminar – 2025
November 3, 2025 – The W.F. Mitchell Bioethics Seminar was held in Pylypchuk Hall with Dr. Darcy Harris, professor emeritus of thanatology at King’s University College/Western University, presenting on, “Navigating End-of-Life Conversations.” Approximately 100 people attended the seminar in person in St. Paul’s Hospital’s Pylypchuk Hall, with over 100 more joining via Webex.
Dr. Harris began by focusing on the fact that “life is a limited resource… but we don’t treat life as a limited resource.” This world view prevents us from living our lives to the fullest, particularly as the end-of-life nears. Over the past several generations, our perspective on life and death have changed due to (1) increased life expectancy; (2) rise of cure-orientated medicine; (3) nature of contemporary families; (4) false sense of control over the natural world. These changes have created a taboo around death, making it difficult to address concerns regarding death and dying even in healthcare.
She added that although we are living longer, we are living longer with many health issues associated with aging. This creates significant pressure on our healthcare system, particularly when people come with an expectation of being cured of old age. As Dr. Harris shared, the experience of an unanticipated death becomes stressful and event traumatic for families who spend the last moments of their loved one’s lives in intensive and acute care environments. This has created a “new grief” as patients and families experience protracted illnesses with extended periods of loss making it difficult to know when end-of-life care should be discussed.
Given the deeply personal nature of what a “good death” looks like, Dr. Harris encouraged participants to open conversations about death with a curiosity about what the other person would like. Earlier palliative care can improve a patient’s quality of life, making it all the more important to ensure that we are comfortable discussing death, a skill called “death literacy.” Death literacy includes having the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to help others find the information they need to engage in conversations about their “good death.” More information on death literacy is available at the Death Literacy Institute.
The seminar was made possible by the W.F. Mitchell Endowment which is stewarded by the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation. William F. Mitchell was a Saskatoon business man, who recognized the value of ethical reflection both in the business world and in health care.
The full presentation has been recorded and is available upon request. Please contact mary.heilman@saskhealthauthority.ca.