Palliative Care in Residential Care Homes: Implementation Challenges and Early Findings in Three Clinical Trials

Chair(s)

• KU

  Kathleen Unroe, MD, MHA, MS

  Associate Professor
  Medicine
  Indiana University
  Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

  Slides

Discussant(s)

• 

  Jenny van der Steen, MSc, PhD, FGSA (she/her/hers)

  Associate Professor
  Public Health and Primary Care
  Leiden University Medical Center
  Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Individual Symposium Abstract First Author(s)

• KU

  Kathleen Unroe, MD, MHA, MS

  Associate Professor
  Medicine
  Indiana University
  Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

  Slides
• 

  Nathan Davies, PhD

  Associate Professor
  Primary care and population health
  University College London
  London, England, United Kingdom
• 

  Sharon Kaasalainen, RN, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Professor
  Nursing
  McMaster University
  Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  Slides

This symposium will describe, compare and contrast three active clinical trials implementing palliative care models for people with dementia in residential care facilities and nursing homes. SPA-LTC is a pragmatic clinical trial in three Canadian provinces, providing training to palliative care teams and a process for triggered palliative care conferences. EMBED-Care, based in the United Kingdom, is testing a digital clinical support tool to improve integrated palliative care for people with dementia using holistic assessment and promoting shared decision-making. UPLIFT-AD is a multi-state U.S. based clinical trial, providing training for in-facility Palliative Care Leads and facilitating specialty palliative care clinician consults for people with moderate to advanced dementia. This symposium provides an opportunity to compare methodologic choices in study design, including intervention design, use of internal (care facility) based resources vs. external supports, and outcome assessment. Presenters will describe implications of these design choices for the implementation of the trial and for longer term sustainability. Implementation experience, including barriers and facilitators to palliative care programs for people with dementia, will be described.

Presentations:

• 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET

  Utilizing Palliative Leaders in Facilities to Transform Care: The UPLIFT Clinical Trial Implementation
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Kathleen Unroe, MD, MHA, MS – Indiana University
• 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET

  Empowering Better End-of-Life Dementia Care (EMBED-Care): A Digital Clinical Decision Support Framework
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Nathan Davies, PhD – University College London
• 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET

  Exploring the Implementation of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care Program in a Clinical Trial
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Sharon Kaasalainen, RN, PhD (she/her/hers) – McMaster University