A pilot evaluation of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) program

Sharon Kaasalainen; Tamara Sussman; Genevieve Thompson; Lynn McCleary; Paulette V. Hunter; Lorraine Venturato; Abagail Wickson-Griffiths; Jenny Ploeg; Deborah Parker; Shane Sinclair; Vanina Dal Bello-Haas; Marie Earl; John J. You

doi:10.1186/s12904-020-00599-w

A pilot evaluation of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) program

Sharon Kaasalainen, Tamara Sussman, Genevieve Thompson, Lynn McCleary, Paulette V. Hunter, Lorraine Venturato, Abagail Wickson-Griffiths, Jenny Ploeg, Deborah Parker, Shane Sinclair, Vanina Dal Bello-Haas, Marie Earl, John J. You

Western Sydney University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background: Despite increased annual mortality in long-term care (LTC) homes, research has shown that care of dying residents and their families is currently suboptimal in these settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate resident and family outcomes associated with the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in LTC (SPA-LTC) program, developed to help encourage meaningful end of life discussions and planning. Methods: The study employs a mixed method design in four LTC homes across Southern Ontario. Data were collected from residents and families of the LTC homes through chart reviews, interviews, and focus groups. Interviews with family who attended a Palliative Care Conference included both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Results: In total, 39 residents/families agreed to participate in the study. Positive intervention outcomes included a reduction in the proportion of emergency department use at end of life and hospital deaths for those participating in SPA-LTC, improved support for families, and increased family involvement in the care of residents. For families who attended a Palliative Care Conference, both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that families benefited from attending them. Residents stated that they appreciated learning about a palliative approach to care and being informed about their current status. Conclusions: The benefits of SPA-LTC for residents and families justify its continued use within LTC. Study results also suggest that certain enhancements of the program could further promote future integration of best practices within a palliative approach to care within the LTC context. However, the generalizability of these results across LTC homes in different regions and countries is limited given the small sample size.

Original language	English
Article number	107
Number of pages	12
Journal	BMC Palliative Care
Volume	19
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-020-00599-w
Publication status	Published - 2020

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Kaasalainen, S., Sussman, T., Thompson, G., McCleary, L., Hunter, P. V., Venturato, L., Wickson-Griffiths, A., Ploeg, J., Parker, D., Sinclair, S., Dal Bello-Haas, V., Earl, M., & You, J. J. (2020). A pilot evaluation of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) program. BMC Palliative Care, 19(1), Article 107. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-020-00599-w

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abstract = "Background: Despite increased annual mortality in long-term care (LTC) homes, research has shown that care of dying residents and their families is currently suboptimal in these settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate resident and family outcomes associated with the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in LTC (SPA-LTC) program, developed to help encourage meaningful end of life discussions and planning. Methods: The study employs a mixed method design in four LTC homes across Southern Ontario. Data were collected from residents and families of the LTC homes through chart reviews, interviews, and focus groups. Interviews with family who attended a Palliative Care Conference included both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Results: In total, 39 residents/families agreed to participate in the study. Positive intervention outcomes included a reduction in the proportion of emergency department use at end of life and hospital deaths for those participating in SPA-LTC, improved support for families, and increased family involvement in the care of residents. For families who attended a Palliative Care Conference, both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that families benefited from attending them. Residents stated that they appreciated learning about a palliative approach to care and being informed about their current status. Conclusions: The benefits of SPA-LTC for residents and families justify its continued use within LTC. Study results also suggest that certain enhancements of the program could further promote future integration of best practices within a palliative approach to care within the LTC context. However, the generalizability of these results across LTC homes in different regions and countries is limited given the small sample size.",

author = "Sharon Kaasalainen and Tamara Sussman and Genevieve Thompson and Lynn McCleary and Hunter, {Paulette V.} and Lorraine Venturato and Abagail Wickson-Griffiths and Jenny Ploeg and Deborah Parker and Shane Sinclair and {Dal Bello-Haas}, Vanina and Marie Earl and You, {John J.}",

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doi = "10.1186/s12904-020-00599-w",

language = "English",

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AU - Kaasalainen, Sharon

AU - Sussman, Tamara

AU - Thompson, Genevieve

AU - McCleary, Lynn

AU - Hunter, Paulette V.

AU - Venturato, Lorraine

AU - Wickson-Griffiths, Abagail

AU - Ploeg, Jenny

AU - Parker, Deborah

AU - Sinclair, Shane

AU - Dal Bello-Haas, Vanina

AU - Earl, Marie

AU - You, John J.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Background: Despite increased annual mortality in long-term care (LTC) homes, research has shown that care of dying residents and their families is currently suboptimal in these settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate resident and family outcomes associated with the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in LTC (SPA-LTC) program, developed to help encourage meaningful end of life discussions and planning. Methods: The study employs a mixed method design in four LTC homes across Southern Ontario. Data were collected from residents and families of the LTC homes through chart reviews, interviews, and focus groups. Interviews with family who attended a Palliative Care Conference included both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Results: In total, 39 residents/families agreed to participate in the study. Positive intervention outcomes included a reduction in the proportion of emergency department use at end of life and hospital deaths for those participating in SPA-LTC, improved support for families, and increased family involvement in the care of residents. For families who attended a Palliative Care Conference, both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that families benefited from attending them. Residents stated that they appreciated learning about a palliative approach to care and being informed about their current status. Conclusions: The benefits of SPA-LTC for residents and families justify its continued use within LTC. Study results also suggest that certain enhancements of the program could further promote future integration of best practices within a palliative approach to care within the LTC context. However, the generalizability of these results across LTC homes in different regions and countries is limited given the small sample size.

AB - Background: Despite increased annual mortality in long-term care (LTC) homes, research has shown that care of dying residents and their families is currently suboptimal in these settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate resident and family outcomes associated with the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in LTC (SPA-LTC) program, developed to help encourage meaningful end of life discussions and planning. Methods: The study employs a mixed method design in four LTC homes across Southern Ontario. Data were collected from residents and families of the LTC homes through chart reviews, interviews, and focus groups. Interviews with family who attended a Palliative Care Conference included both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Results: In total, 39 residents/families agreed to participate in the study. Positive intervention outcomes included a reduction in the proportion of emergency department use at end of life and hospital deaths for those participating in SPA-LTC, improved support for families, and increased family involvement in the care of residents. For families who attended a Palliative Care Conference, both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that families benefited from attending them. Residents stated that they appreciated learning about a palliative approach to care and being informed about their current status. Conclusions: The benefits of SPA-LTC for residents and families justify its continued use within LTC. Study results also suggest that certain enhancements of the program could further promote future integration of best practices within a palliative approach to care within the LTC context. However, the generalizability of these results across LTC homes in different regions and countries is limited given the small sample size.

UR - https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:63506

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DO - 10.1186/s12904-020-00599-w

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SN - 1472-684X

VL - 19

JO - BMC Palliative Care

JF - BMC Palliative Care

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M1 - 107

ER -

A pilot evaluation of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) program

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