Search results for ‘Subject term:"palliative care"’ Sort:
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A protocol for determining differences in consistency and depth of palliative care service provision across community sites
- Authors:
- SCHUURMAN Nadine, CROOKS Valorie A., AMRAM Ofer
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 18(5), September 2010, pp.537-548.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study investigated the extent, composition and depth of palliative care in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). The province is urban in the southwest and rural in the remainder. A detailed telephone survey of all palliative care home care teams and facilities hosting designated beds in BC was conducted. In-home care data was obtained individually from each of five BC regional health authorities. Three critical metrics were calculated: the population served within one hour of palliative care facilities - and more critically those not served; a matrix that determined access to in-home palliative care measured by both diversity of professionals as well as population served per palliative team member; and a ranking of palliative care services across the province based on physical accessibility as well as the extent of in-home care. These metrics provided the basis for identifying areas of vulnerability with respect to not meeting potential palliative care need, and, in addition, the ranking provided a basis for rural/urban comparisons.
The workplace perspective on supporting family caregivers at end of life: evaluating a new Canadian social program
- Authors:
- VUKSAN Mirjana, WILLIAMS Allison M., CROOKS Valorie A.
- Journal article citation:
- Community Work and Family, 15(3), August 2012, pp.317-333.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
More people are being offered non-institutional end of life care but this requires significant input from informal carers. Employers are coming to appreciate the need to accommodate the issue of work-life balance for employees in this situation. This research examines the expectations that Canadian employers and human resources professionals have of the Compassionate Care Benefit (CCB), in addition to their experienced realities of having staff use this social program. The CCB provides employed family/informal caregivers with job-secured work leave and six weeks of employment insurance benefits while they take time off to provide care to a dying family member or close other, often in the community. Five focused discussions took place involving a total of 27 employers across Canada representing various sizes of organisation and sectors. Thematic analysis was used to assess how well the CCB meets caregivers' needs, as well as the informational and procedural needs of workplaces. As it stands the programme is unable to meet all the needs of employers, HR professionals and employees/caregivers. Suggestions for programme improvement are discussed including: speeding up processing time, eliminating the two week unpaid waiting period and better instructions on how to interpret and apply the benefit.
Perspectives from the frontlines: palliative care providers' expectations of Canada's compassionate care benefit programme
- Authors:
- GIESBRECHT Melissa, CROOKS Valorie A., WILLIAMS Allison
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 18(6), November 2010, pp.643-652.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study investigated the perspectives of front-line palliative care providers (FLPCP) regarding a social benefit programme in Canada designed to support family caregivers at end-of-life – the Compassionate Care Benefit (CCB). The CCB's provides income assistance and job security to family caregivers who take temporary leave from employment to care for a dying family member. This analysis drew on interviews undertaken with 50 FLPCPs. Specific expectations were identified and grouped into four categories: temporal; financial; informational; and administrative. Findings showed that participants expect the CCB to provide: an adequate length of leave time from work, which is reflective of the uncertain nature of caregiving at end-of-life; adequate financial support; information on the programme to be disseminated to FLPCPs so that they may share it with others; and a simple, clear, and quick application process. FLPCPs hold unique expertise, and ultimately the power to shape uptake of the CCB. The authors concluded that, as such, their expectations of the CCB contribute valuable knowledge from which relevant policy recommendations can be made.