Early integration of a palliative care approach into the care of dependent older adults constitutes a public health concern owing to multiple factors.

To explore the perceptions of nursing home professionals toward palliative care in order to understand how these perceptions influence the adoption of a palliative care approach in residents’ care.

We conducted a qualitative study using a multiple case study approach. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were held with professionals from 21 nursing homes. Data were analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach.

A total of 68 individual interviews and nine focus groups involving 67 professionals were conducted. The findings revealed shared perceptions of palliative care across settings and professional categories. Professionals structure palliative care around the umbrella term of accompagnement, which encompasses multiple goals and incorporates diverse practices. The majority of professionals associate palliative care with the terminal phase of an incurable illness and the end of life, and consider it to be reserved for the expertise of specialized teams. Such perceptions hinder the appropriation of the palliative care approach and delay its adoption in residents’ care.

To ensure optimal integration of a palliative care approach within nursing home residents’ care, strong strategies aimed at improving perceptions and attitudes at individual, clinical, and organizational levels are required. These strategies should focus on co-creating an organizational culture that values palliative care as an approach that is integrated in a timely manner throughout the continuum of care to meet residents’ needs.