Keeping the Light Shining

Providence Health Care Residential Care Interdisciplinary Research Team

The death of a resident in a long-term care home can be hard on the health care professionals who often develop close, personal relationships with residents. At one of Providence Health Care (PHC)’s long-term care sites, a group of inter-professional health care providers observed increased stress among residential care staff who were showing signs of burnout and exhibiting distancing behaviours.

Responding to this, the group introduced the research project “Keeping the Light Shining,” which aims to improve the health and well-being of health care providers at PHC’s long-term care sites. Recommendations from the project include acknowledging grief and stress among staff members, supporting caregivers in taking time to say goodbye to dying residents and coaching and comforting residents and family members during difficult times.

Since the project launched, staff have reported feeling acknowledged, informed, connected, empowered and inspired to take steps to maintain their own resilience to care for dying residents in long-term care homes. This in turn has enabled them to provide the best possible end-of-life care to residents.

For fostering better end-of-life care for residents and their families by supporting the health and well-being of health care providers, the Gold Apple in Workplace Health Innovation has been awarded to Providence Health Care’s “Keeping the Light Shining” project.

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