A pilot home-based palliative care program in rural Canada showed promising outcomes for older adults with chronic illness.

Background

Rural older adults may struggle to manage their symptoms when their chronic illnesses advance and they begin to need end-of-life care. This pilot study examined preliminary outcomes for a nurse-led home-based palliative care program in Canada. A nurse care navigator served as patients’ primary point of contact and offered an array of services during in-home visits, such as patient education, advance care planning, symptom management, and psychosocial support.

Findings

This person-centered intervention offered continuity of care for patients with palliative care needs who had multiple providers and limited access to in-home supports. Although the study sample size was small (25 older adults and 11 family members), findings that this approach is promising — most participants reported satisfaction with the program and avoided preventable emergency department visits.

Program/Policy Takeaways

The promising results from this intervention can inform future design and implementation of programs to serve rural older adults with advancing illness.