The 2016 Canadian Census highlighted that for the first time since records began, persons aged 65 and over outnumbered those aged 15 and under (Government of Canada SC. Historical Age Pyramid 2017). As the aging population has increased, there has been a growing trend for people to be cared for within their own homes. This has resulted in a change in the long-term care (LTC) population in care homes as such care is being accessed at a later stage when a person's cognitive and physical health are more likely to be precarious. Despite people staying in their homes longer, it has been estimated that by 2035, Canada will need 199,000 additional beds in long-term care facilities to accommodate this aging population (Gibbard R., 2017). Residents are moving into LTC homes with complex health conditions, require a high level of care, and for many of them, long-term care in this setting is palliative (General Practice Services Committee, British Columbia Ministry of Health, 2019). It was estimated that by 2020, 39% of residents would die in their LTC home each year (Menec et al., 2004; MacLean et al., 2000; Spector et al., 2000). While this trend impacts residents and their families, it also affects the stress of staff who are already challenged with caring for what is an unpredictable and complex care group (
Background The rising trend of providing palliative care to residents in Canadian long-term care facilities places additional demands on care staff, increasing their risk of burnout. Interventions and strategies to alleviate burnout are needed to reduce its impact on quality of patient care and overall functioning of healthcare organizations. Aim To examine the feasibility of implementing online modules with the primary goal of determining recruitment and retention rates, completion time and satisfaction with the modules. A secondary goal was to describe changes in burnout and related symptoms associated with completing the modules. Setting This single-arm, nonrandomized feasibility study was conducted in five long-term care sites of a publicly-funded healthcare organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Eligible participants were clinical staff who worked at least 1 day per month. Results A total of 103 study participants consented to participate, 31 (30.1%) of whom were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 72 participants, 64 (88.9%) completed the modules and all questionnaires. Most participants completed the modules in an hour (89%) and found them easy to understand (98%), engaging (84%), and useful (89%). Mean scores on burnout and secondary traumatic stress decreased by .9 (95% CI: .1-1.8; d = .3) and 1.4 (95% CI: .4-2.4; d = .4), respectively; mean scores on compassion satisfaction were virtually unchanged. Conclusions Modules that teach strategies to reduce burnout among staff in long-term care are feasible to deliver and have the potential to reduce burnout and related symptoms. Randomized controlled trials are needed to assess effectiveness and longer-term impact.
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