End of Life Care Pathways for Residential Aged Care Facilities
The Residential Aged Care FacilitiesEnd of Life Care Pathways (RAC EoLCP) was developed by the Brisbane South Palliative Care Collaborative (Queensland) to improve equity of access to quality palliative care for residents dying in aged care facilities. It was produced by adapting existing pathways, including the Liverpool Care Pathway and incorporates evidence and consensus-based best clinical management and care coordination for dying residents.
When implemented in conjunction with a supportive framework, the RAC EoLCP has been evaluated as improving outcomes for dying residents as well as the quality of palliative care provided by Residential Aged Care Facilities. Evaluation of the pathway project (across 299 deaths) has provided some of the first evidence internationally that the use of palliative care pathways improves outcomes of care in residential aged care [11] facilities. Some important evaluation findings include:
- Dying residents commenced on the RAC EoLCP were significantly less likely to be transferred to hospital, so more able to die ‘in-place’ in the familiar environment of their RACF with carers known to them.
- RACF staff reported significant improvements in the quality of palliative care provided by their facility. Aspects of improved care included access to specialist palliative care services, information provided to residents and families, care coordination, symptom management and inclusion of relatives in care decision-making.
- Improvements in care were supported by family survey responses.
This project was funded by the Department of Health and Ageing as part of the Local Palliative Care Grants.
For more information, please contact the Brisbane South Palliative Care Collaborative (BSPCC) end of life pathways project.
