Communication
Butterfly Indicator
Were implemented by the palliative care teams to support quick and effective communication regarding palliative care and after the death of a resident. Utilizing the butterfly indicator is an immediate action that can offer niotification to staff and it has the ability to alert staff from all departments working in the area. Please visit the links below to learn more about what messages the butterfly indicator can help communicate and how to implement this communication tool in your home.
Butterfly Indicator Training Card Template
Comfort Care Bags
The comfort care bags were an initiative developed by the Personal Support Workers on the Palliative Care Teams. Providing a comfort care bag to the family or caregiver of a resident who is at the end of life is one way staff can offer support and let the family or caregiver know that the staff are thinking of them. The bags contain personal items the
family member or caregiver.
Comfort Care Rounds
Comfort Care Rounds, originally Pain Rounds, were requested and attended by the registered staff in the evaluation LTC homes. However, in recognizing the staff’s interest in the broader issues of providing palliative care, Comfort Care Rounds were developed to not only address pain management but all aspects that palliative care encompasses. Also with the expanded focus, the all members multidisciplinary team, including palliative care volunteers, were invited to attend.
Palliative Care Bulletin Board
A Palliative Care Bulletin Board supports communication by:
- Communicating to the Palliative Care Team members and oth-er LTC staff and volunteers about education opportunities, new Initiatives, tree showcasing , and meeting dates
- Encourages staff participation by inviting people from all de-partments to come together to support ideas to better the quality of life and death of our residents
- Providing contact information for team members in order for other staff to provide feedback , requests and suggestions
Palliative Care Bulletin Board Handout
Memory Boxes
Memory boxes support the communication between staff and families after the death of the resident. Long term care homes may wish to provide the family with a memory box in order to place resident pos-sessions in when the family is gathering resident belonging. This handout provides a sample process on how to implement a memory box.
Sympathy Cards
Sympathy cards are also a means of continuing communication with staff and families after the death of a resident. They also provide staff with closure and a means to say goodbye.
Placemats
A placemat supports communication between staff, residents, families and volunteers by:
- providing non-verbal communication that a resident has died
- honouring the resident
- providing opportunity for verbal communication if desired (all people grieve differently thus some may not want or may not be ready for verbal communication)
Palliative Care Resource Team Meetings
This innovation provides information on resource team meetings. It provides information on: how often the meeting should occur, roles that should be considered, and possible agenda items.
