Abstract
This focused discussion presents the ongoing findings and analyses of a year-long research on long-term care service provision. The research was conducted in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, one which has considerably strained an already inadequate system of end-of-life care in Canada. The perspective of informal caregivers was contrasted with that of long-term care workers to shed light on the systemic problems underlying the provision of care in long-term care centres, both regarding the issues predating the pandemic and those exacerbated by it. Twenty participants were sampled from the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, two of the most affected Canadian provinces under Covid-19. Semi-directive interviews were conducted to explore the lived experiences of individuals involved with long-term care centres. A thematic analysis of content, paired with a lexicographic analysis of the interview transcriptions, is expected to provide comparative data on the experience of caregivers and workers alike under two distinct contexts of healthcare provision. This study serves to question the end-of-life conditions of our Canadian elderly, debate the effects of a broken palliative system on families and healthcare professionals as well as interrogate the status of our elders in a neoliberal political climate.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Public Policy and Public Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Long-Term Care, End-of-life care, Covid-19, Caregiver experience, Public service provision
