An Assessment of organizational infrastructure gaps, barriers and enablers to developing formal palliative care programs in LTC homes : a comparative case study of two long term care homes in Northern Ontario

Abstract

This research paper is a sub-study of a five year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Counci l of Canada (SSHRC) funded Community-University Research Alliance project: Improving Quality ofLife for People Dying in Long-Term Care Homes, in progress from 2009 to 2013. This sub-study uses a comparative case study design and the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association' s (CHPCA) model of practice as a framework to understand how the organizational infrastructure of two long-term care (LTC) homes affects their capacity to develop and deliver formal palliative care programs. The three main goals of this sub-study were: 1 ) to identifY resources and functions within the two LTC homes that serve as enablers to support palliative care development and delivery; 2) to identify current gaps and barriers that influence the development and delivery of formal palliative care programs within these two care homes ; and 3 ) t o determine a list of priorities for change a t the organizational level i n e fforts t o make the LTC homes more successful during the development and delivery their own formalized palliative care programs.