Ethics Services

Ethics is about determining the right thing to do when our decisions and actions have the potential to impact others in a meaningful way. Determining the right thing isn’t always easy in the context of healthcare delivery in a diverse community. Ethical uncertainty is common, and sometimes ethical disagreements arise.

The Ethics Service at Southlake assists stakeholders with decision making when ethical uncertainty or disagreement occurs. It is led by a qualified Health Care Ethicist, who has extensive training in ethical decision-making and facilitation, with assistance from an Ethics Associate.

What kinds of situations can the Ethics Service help with?

Any situation in which there is uncertainty or disagreement about the right thing to do. Some examples include:

• My mother has advanced dementia and I don’t know if I should consent to a feeding tube or not.
• I have a life-threatening illness and I would like to talk to someone about medical assistance in dying.
• My wife is in the Intensive Care Unit and they keep asking about code status. What do I do?
• My father is dying and my siblings can’t seem to agree about the treatment plan.
• I’ve been told I’m not allowed to visit my mother because my sister has Power of Attorney and won’t let anyone else in the family visit

Contact

Anyone can contact the Ethics Service directly, or you can ask a member of your care team to do so.

T: 905-895-4521, ext. 6425
ethx@southlakeregional.org  

If it is urgent, you can call Locating at ext. 2216 and ask to have the Ethicist paged.

If you would like more information about the Ethics Service at Southlake, please click here for a copy of our Ethics Framework.

Looking for information about advance care planning or advance directives? Please visit the Speak Up Ontario website.