Resource Library

The QPL is a list of questions designed to help the family carer in asking questions which may help them understand the process better. The QPL is a list of commonly asked questions that the family carers may wish to ask the internal facilitator during the FCC. This list is designed as a guide only and some questions may not be specific to all family carers, however it may be used as a guide of conversation for the family carer to ask questions that may not otherwise have crossed their minds, or in some cases may not be required at all. It is a companion to the Comfort Care Booklet.

Comfort Care Booklet- French

Le message central du livret de soins de confort est que la démence est une maladie en phase terminale et qu’une approche palliative des soins est donc appropriée. Le livret fournit des informations sur la trajectoire de la maladie et les complications possibles, les options pour gérer des problèmes tels que les difficultés d’alimentation et la pneumonie, la gestion des symptômes et les soins de confort, le processus de prise de décision, le processus de la mort et le deuil.

Comfort Care Booklet- English

The core message of the Comfort Care Booklet is that dementia is a terminal disease and that a palliative approach to care is therefore appropriate. The booklet provides information about the trajectory of the disease and possible complications, options to manage issues such as feeding difficulties and pneumonia, symptom management and comfort care, the decision-making process, the dying process and grief.

Broadening End-of-Life Comfort to Improve Palliative Care Practices in Long-Term Care

The goal of this study was to examine how palliative care principles (PCP) can best be integrated in LTC is a pressing issue by exploring the tensions associated with caring for the living and dying within one care
community and informing how PCP may be improved.

Family Care Conferences in Long-Term Care: Exploring Content and Processes in End-of-life Communication

The purpose of this sub-study is to examine FCC: a) content, and b) guiding processes such as documentation and multidisciplinary staff participation using mixed methods.

Whose role is it anyways? Using pamphlets to activate early conversations about end-of-life care in long-term care

This study explores the development and use of five condition specific pamphlets aimed at supporting LTC staffs’ capacity to (a) inform residents and families about the trajectory of their primary medical condition and (b) initiate conversations about EOL care.

Heart work: A thematic analysis of compassion in long-term care

This research brief explores perceptions about compassion when delivering palliative care from the perspective of residents, family members, and healthcare providers in LTC. It identifies potential facilitators and barriers associated with providing compassionate care to residences in Canadian LTC settings.

Mind the gap: Is the Canadian long—term care workforce ready for a palliative care mandate?

The aim of this paper is to explore the readiness of Canadian LTC homes for a palliative care mandate by exploring (1) efficacy for palliative care, (2) self-reported patient-centered behaviour relevant to palliative care, and (3) quality of work life at LTC homes in four Canadian provinces.

Meaningful connections in dementia end of life care in long term care homes

The purpose of this study is to examine and compare family and staff perspectives on end-of life (EOL) care for people with dementia, as well as their family caregivers, who live in long-term care (LTC) homes. This study explored how EOL care is currently being provided to those with dementia, what facilitates the provision of care, and what challenges are experienced by staff and family caregivers.

“Who would want to die like that?”: Perspectives on Dying Alone

This research seeks to understand various perspectives on dying alone and why it is construed as a ‘bad death,’ as well as to explore the EOL care and bereavement needs of family members of residents who recently died in a LTC home.

Exploring the End-of-Life Care and Bereavement Needs of Family Members in Long-Term Care Homes

This research brief explores the EOL care and bereavement needs of family members whose loved ones have recently died in a LTC home.

What are the differences among occupational groups related to their palliative care-specific educational needs and intensity of interprofessional collaboration in long-term care homes?

The aim of the study is to (a) compare differences across occupational groups related to their palliative care-specific educational needs and to (b) explore the intensity of Inter-Professional Collaborative Approach in LTC

“Now I don’t have to guess”: Using Pamphlets to encourage residents and families/friends to engage in advance care planning in long-term care

Advance care planning (ACP) helps individuals with progressive, life-limiting illnesses communicate their preferences for end-of-life (EOL) care to family members and healthcare providers. Despite known benefits, ACP is rarely utilized in LTC settings. To address the barriers of ACP in LTC, our team developed, implemented, and evaluated the effects of disease-specific illness trajectory pamphlets (ITPs) for five life-limiting advanced clinical syndromes of high prevalence in LTC: dementia, heart failure, COPD, renal failure, and frailty.

The Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) Program: An Evaluation

An increasing number of residents require a palliative approach to care in long-term care (LTC) homes; these settings are ill-prepared and often provide sub-optimal palliative care. The SPA-LTC program is a novel intervention that addresses these issues by building capacity among LTC staff to improve the delivery
of a palliative approach.

End-of-Life Care and Resident Comfort in LTC: Perceptions of Bereaved Caregivers

This study seeks to expand upon the efforts being made to support resident comfort in LTC homes by determining what aspects of EOL care are associated with a caregiver’s perceptions of a ‘good’ resident death.

Analysis of Documents Guiding Palliative Care in 5 Canadian Provinces

BACKGROUND: Consistent guidelines and policies have the potential to improve quality of life in residents living in long-term care (LTC) settings by standardizing and promoting comprehensiveness in palliative care
RESEARCH TOPIC: To analyze the extent of palliative content across high-level guiding documents related to the care of persons residing in Canadian LTC homes