Award-winning palliative care course for health care professionals working in long-term care and nursing homes.

LEAP™ Long-Term Care is an interprofessional course that focuses on the essential competencies to provide a palliative care approach, with case studies contextualized to the long-term care setting. LEAP™ Long-Term Care is taught by local experts who are experienced palliative care clinicians and educators.

“After the LEAP™ training, I was aware of the principles of palliative and end of life care. I responded to the individual residents’ right to die in the facility with dignity and optimal comfort. I treat the individual as a whole person with physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs. I listened to their concerns and the resident and the family are entitled to support and respect at all times.”

Nurse, LEAP™ Long-Term Care learner

Delivery modes

LEAP™ Long-Term Care can be delivered online, in-person or by hybrid model.

Who is it for?

LEAP™ Long-Term Care is ideal for any health care professional (e.g. physician, nurse, pharmacist, social worker) as well as personal support workers (PSWs) or care aides working in long-term care and nursing homes.

LEAP™ Long-Term Care promotes teamwork and collaboration among different health care professionals who work in a variety of settings.

Course features

• • • Interprofessional approach.
    • Built by Canadian palliative care experts.
    • Learners receive a LEAP™ certificate of completion and an electronic copy of the best-selling resource, the Pallium Palliative Pocketbook.
    • Online features:
      • • 17 interactive, self-learning online modules completed at your own pace (approximately 8 hours of work).
        • 6 hours of online webinars led by LEAP™ facilitators where learners will work through cases and discuss learnings from online modules. Personal support workers/care aides have specific case studies contextualized to their role.
    • Hybrid features:
      • • 17 interactive, self-learning online modules completed at your own pace (approximately 8 hours of work).
        • 6 hours of face-to-face learning led by LEAP™ facilitators where learners will work through cases and discuss learnings from online modules. Personal support workers/care aides have specific case studies contextualized to their role.
    • In-person features:
      • • Two days, 13 hours in total.
        • Face-to-face learning with group discussion and case studies.

Accreditation

Online/Hybrid

This 2 credit-per-hour Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for up to 26.5 Mainpro+ credits.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of LEAP™ Long-Term Care, learners should be able to:

• • • Describe the importance of self-awareness when providing palliative and end-of-life care.

• • • Identify patients who could benefit from a palliative care approach earlier in the illness trajectory.
    • Promote and undertake Advance Care Planning discussions.
    • Assess and manage pain; delirium; dementia; gastrointestinal symptoms, hydration, and nutrition; and respiratory symptoms.
    • Develop plans to address spiritual or psychosocial needs.
    • Initiate essential discussions related to palliative and end-of-life care in daily work.
    • Identify and implement support strategies in grief and bereavement situations.
    • Prepare patients and families for last days and hours.
    • Recognize the role of all care providers in long-term care in providing a palliative care approach.

“In my role as a Social Worker in long-term care I have had many opportunities to practise my use of more accurate language around end of life care. My comprehension and appreciation for it’s use has grown as well. After my Pallium training, I regularly took part in revisions in the policies of our long-term care home. During this time I was able to highlight to our interdisciplinary teams the importance and impact of terminology used by our staff members as well as the general approach to palliative support.”

LEAP™ Long-Term Care learner

Topics covered include

• • • Taking ownership
    • Advance Care Planning
    • Goals of care and decision-making
    • Pain assessment and management
    • Delirium assessment and management
    • Depression, anxiety, and grief
    • Dementia
    • Dyspnea
    • Hydration and nutrition
    • Gastrointestinal symptoms
    • Palliative sedation
    • Request to hasten death
    • Suffering, spiritual care, and maintaining hope
    • Last days and hours
    • Organizational readiness