The Champlain LTC Community of Practice (CoP) was started in September 2019, and works with the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care at Bruyère (CLRI). Health care providers from long-term care homes gathered to share their passion and experiences while working in LTC. These professionals were driven to find answers to some ongoing questions within the LTC sector; how to reduce dissimilarities in care, how to use language to help resident’s care while moving from LTC to a hospital, and how to improve residents’ and families’ experience.

The Champlain LTC CoP members are looking at how to aid the residents in LTC homes that would benefit from palliative care. Clinicians who are participating with test RESPECT-LTC, a rapid mortality-risk communication tool adapted to the LTC sector in Ontario. It is designed by a research team at the Bruyère Research Institute and can support a timely palliative and end-of-life care planning and discussions. Residence Saint-Louis and the Perley Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre offered to test this tool on how effective and appropriate it is in the LTC setting. After testing, the pilot sites will share their experience and best practices with other homes and CoP members.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers and physicians from the Champlain LTC CoP have been working to streamline the RESPECT-LTC tool to the ongoing pandemic. The adjusted tool’s new features will increase LTC homes’ readiness for future outbreaks. Following the regular rhythm of a CoP, the Champlain LTC CoP will continue to promote top practices for the early identification of palliative and end- of-life care needs. Using the RESPECT-LTC tool, together with other palliative and end-of-life care learning and coaching activities led by the Ontario CLRI, will support and maintain change in palliative care programs in homes in Ontario. In addition, the group will also identify other practice improvements to address and implement.