Improving End-of-Life Care for People with Dementia in LTC Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Overview

Journal Can Geriatr J

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2021 Sep 6

PMID 34484498

Citations 8

Authors

Sharon Kaasalainen

Lynn McCleary

Shirin Vellani

Jose Pereira

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in deaths in long-term care homes (LTCH). People with dementia living in LTCHs represent one of the most frail and marginalized populations in Canada. The surge of COVID-19 cases in LTCHs and rationing of health-care resources during the pandemic have amplified the pre-existing need for improvements in palliative and end-of-life care in LTCHs. This position statement, created by a task force commissioned by the Alzheimer Society of Canada, provides recommendations for a multipronged coordinated approach to improving palliative and end-of-life care of people with dementia living in LTCHs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Citing Articles

"People are more afraid of a dementia diagnosis than of death": The challenges of supporting advance care planning for persons with dementia in community settings.

Sussman T, Tetrault B Front Dement. 2024; 1:1043661.

PMID: 39081479 PMC: 11285647. DOI: 10.3389/frdem.2022.1043661.

Palliative Approach to Care Education for Multidisciplinary Staff of Long-Term Care Homes: A Pretest Post-Test Study.

Vellani S, Rivas V, Nicula M, Lucchese S, Kruizinga J, Sussman T Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2023; 9:23337214231158470.

PMID: 36845318 PMC: 9947670. DOI: 10.1177/23337214231158470.

Supporting dementia family care partners during COVID-19: Perspectives from hospice staff.

Lin S, Jones T, David D, Lassell R, Durga A, Convery K Geriatr Nurs. 2022; 47:265-272.

PMID: 36030641 PMC: 9359485. DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.08.003.

Coronavirus Disease-2019 in Older People with Cognitive Impairment.

Rolland Y, Baziard M, de Mauleon A, Dubus E, Saidlitz P, Soto M Clin Geriatr Med. 2022; 38(3):501-517.

PMID: 35868669 PMC: 8934719. DOI: 10.1016/j.cger.2022.03.002.

Interdisciplinary staff perceptions of advance care planning in long-term care homes: a qualitative study.

Vellani S, Green E, Kulasegaram P, Sussman T, Wickson-Griffiths A, Kaasalainen S BMC Palliat Care. 2022; 21(1):127.

PMID: 35836164 PMC: 9284816. DOI: 10.1186/s12904-022-01014-2.

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