Palliative Care in Long-Term Care Facilities in a COVID-19 World: International perspectives from Canada, Japan and England

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on long term care facilities (LTCF)s internationally was devastating for residents, their relatives and LTCF staff. Providing end of life care in such settings is already challenging, and ensuring LTCFs can provide appropriate, equitable end of life is imperative during future pandemics. Initiatives in this area are already emerging in Europe, however much can be learned from other countries in their management of LTCFs during COVID-19. From a policy perspective, international comparison is imperative in identifying new approaches to care.

This webinar will discuss the findings from two, three-week research visits to Canada (October 2023) and Japan (March 2024), to explore ongoing initiatives to improve end of life care for LTCF residents, funded by the Churchill Fellowship. Each research visit focusses on three areas: (1) to explore how LTCF staff either provided or worked with wider health services to access end of life care, (2) to identify how local public health policy makers protected LTCF residents during the pandemic, and (3) to understand different approaches to maintaining contact between LTCF residents and their family and friends.