Long-Term Care (LTC)
4-Point Plan
The LTC Four-Point Plan aims to improve end-of-life care in long-term care. It addresses the needs of staff, management, volunteers, family and residents. Join us and be a part of the solution now.
About the program: responding to a need in care with a solution
For many aging people in this country, a long-term care (LTC) facility is their home. When someone is facing death in their LTC home resources are often extremely limited. HHA has a specific program/plan that we work with communities and LTC facilities across Ontario to grow the circle of care wider, while supporting families and caregiving teams along the way.
Are you an LTC facility, an HHA Death Doula, or a leader in your community reader to get involved?
More than 50% of residents in long-term care facilities have a form of dementia, which many doctors (including geriatric specialists) do not necessarily view as a terminal diagnosis.
LTC Plan: Points 1-4
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TWO
Facilitate a one-day interactive End-of-Life Care in Long-Term Care Workshop
3
THREE
Include LTC facilities as partnering locations for an HHA Death Doula Candidate’s practicum
4
FOUR
Have an HHA-certified end-of-life Doula in every LTC facility in the province
staff and volunteers in partnering facilities
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Providing training that addresses the practical needs of those reaching end of life and helps professional caregivers understand how previous experiences of loss may influence their approach to supporting someone who is dying (and their loved ones)
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Offering access to HHA’s Debriefing Support Team, which is available 24 hours a day. This service makes immediate emotional support accessible to professional caregivers who have “just lost” a resident, allowing long-term care staff (who have often developed a deep personal relationship with a resident) to have their grief honoured, recognized, and supported.
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Placing volunteer Death Doula Candidates in long term care facilities gives the current care team a chance to understand the complementary role of death doulas in a collaborative way. This placement also provides the facility with “proof of concept” of the benefits of this type of care before considering an increase in operational budgets in order to bring a certified Death Doula onto their staff.
How the LTC 4-Point Plan supports...
residents in partnering facilities
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Providing one-on-one care and support for their non-medical needs at the end of life
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Offering a trained and compassionate ear to help them work on or through issues that they may not feel comfortable sharing with family
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Respecting the journey they’re on, especially when dementia has robbed someone of much of their dignity
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Acknowledging who they are culturally, socially, and spiritually
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For LGBTQ2S+ residents, acknowledging and respecting their identities even if, as often happens, they have been compelled to conceal this part of their identity when entering into a long-term care facility
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Providing the opportunity to die where they now call home, in the manner of their choosing, and ensuring they do not die alone
families of residents in partnering facilities
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Providing access to a person with direct knowledge of their loved one’s care who has the time and resources to speak with, educate and empower family members so that they may comfortably participate in their loved one’s final journey
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Assuring the family that, if they aren’t able to be present, their loved one will not die alone
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Offering a compassionate ear to help ease their suffering and anxiety
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Giving practical support through progressive healing groups and assistance with such tasks as cleaning out their loved one’s room (often being required on the same day as their death)
How you can help
