Speaker
Description
Long-term care (LTC) homes are increasingly supporting residents with complex chronic illness, frailty, and end-of-life care needs. Recognizing opportunities to improve consistency, communication, and staff confidence in palliative and end-of-life care, our organization implemented the RNAO Best Practice Guideline (BPG) A Palliative Approach to Care in the Last 12 Months of Life. The initiative aimed to strengthen person-centred care, enhance advance care planning processes, and standardize end-of-life practices across multiple LTC homes.
Implementation strategies focused on embedding evidence-based tools and resources into clinical practice. Advance care planning assessments were introduced to support earlier conversations regarding goals of care, substitute decision-makers, and resident wishes. Standardized resources were developed for staff related to consent and capacity, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), and palliative care planning. End-of-life order sets were implemented to promote equitable, consistent symptom management and ensure all residents received a minimum standard of evidence-based care. In addition, staff checklists and care planning tools were created to guide clinical decision-making and support continuity of care during expected decline and actively dying phases. Recognizing the emotional impact of resident deaths on teams, structured debrief tools were also introduced to support staff reflection, learning, and wellness.
Early outcomes included improved staff confidence in discussing goals of care and palliative approaches, increased consistency in end-of-life documentation and care planning, and greater interdisciplinary collaboration. Staff feedback identified standardized tools and checklists as valuable supports during complex or emotionally challenging situations. Key lessons learned highlighted the importance of accessible resources, leadership support, and ongoing education to sustain practice change. This initiative demonstrates how operationalizing RNAO BPG recommendations can strengthen palliative care delivery and support compassionate, resident-centred end-of-life care within LTC settings.
Author(s) Credentials and Title
Laura Matthews, MPH, BScN, RN, CIC®, LTC-CIP® (she/her), Manager of Clinical Practice
What RNAO BPG or tool/toolkit is your abstract related to?
A Palliative Approach to Care in the Last 12 Months of Life and RNAO Clinical Pathways for Palliative and End-of-Life Care
| Organization Name | Regional Municipality of Niagara |
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