Palliative care needs of residents, families, and staff in long-term care facilities

While there is growing recognition that the physical needs of LTC residents have increased markedly in the 20 years, the palliative care needs of facility residents and their families are poorly understood. There also is a dearth of information on the educational and support needs of LTC facility staff vis-a-vis palliative care. Operating from the Juan de Fuca Hospital Society (a network of extended care facilities in Victoria), our Palliative Support Team (PST) was conceived in order to act as an educational resource to JdF staff as well as to provide expert consultation on palliative care issues. As part of the evaluation of this pilot program, a sample of 74 Juan de Fuca workers were interviewed to determine their perceptions of resident, family, and staff needs in relation to palliative care. In this paper, discussion is focused on the palliative care needs identified by professional caregivers. The ways in which a palliative care consultation team can address some of these needs are also discussed.