Grant: Operating Grant

This study will train health providers in home care teams across Quebec in shared decision making with older clients and their caregivers about the decision to stay at home or move to a care facility, and then assess its impact. This decision is one of the toughest for older Canadians. Decisions that are informed, shared and supported produce better results. An interprofessional approach to shared decision making is when older persons and their caregivers are supported by not just one but by all the professionals involved in their care. In another study, we found that professionals working with older adults in home care do intend to adopt an interprofessional shared decision making approach. We found out what influences this intention and tested a training program that addressed these influences. We will assess the program's impact by measuring to what extent older persons say they took active part in the decision-making process. We will also look at i) what option they chose, whether they feel conflict or regret about their decision, and their quality of life; ii) the burden of care felt by the caregivers; iii) healthcare providers' account of how much they involved their patients in the decision making.