Residents and families are often faced with making critical and emotional end-of-life decisions without any preparatory discussions. This results in stress and conflict. A long-term care (LTC) palliative toolkit has been developed to address the immediate LTC homes needs in response to COVID-19. The LTC toolkit includes tools and practices that support: (a) the engagement of residents and families across disease trajectories, (b) workforce capacity development and the implementation of supports to reduce stress and improve psychological health, (c) the development of organizational structures and processes embedded in the LTC home to promote a palliative approach to care. Our mixed methods project will include: (1) situational & stakeholder analysis with LTC staff, residents and families; (2) toolkit Implementation at one LTC home in New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan; (3) staff focus groups and interviews to assess implementation perceptions & suggestions for improvement.  

The research will be completed by December 2021 and expected outputs are: 

• A scale-up assessment of the new LTC palliative toolkit conducted in three provinces (Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick)  

• Identification of ways to adapt the LTC palliative toolkit for diverse regions and contexts  

• Documented lessons learned from implementation in diverse settings  

• Evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of the toolkit in participating LTC homes during COVID-19