Grant: Team Grant: CCNA Phase III: Health Equity in Caregiving

Trauma is common among older adults, with many experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, often leading to a number of psychological symptoms that reduce their quality of life. Moving to a long-term care home (LTCH) can add additional challenges for older adults who have experienced trauma, as the intensity of care can inadvertently re-traumatize them. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated feelings of vulnerability among LTCH residents who were socially isolated from family and friends for prolonged periods of time. However, trauma-informed care (TIC) practices-which emphasize safety, autonomy, and respect-can reduce these risks by providing an organizational framework and care practices which are sensitive to trauma. This study aims to co-design a TIC framework for LTCH to reduce trauma symptoms and increase quality of life among the LTCH residents. This project is expected to take place over four years. In the first phase, interviews and a survey will be conducted with residents, family/friend care partners, staff care partners, and leadership to learn more about their experiences and attitudes towards TIC. In the second phase, the TIC framework will be piloted in one LTC facility. In the third phase we will compare the impact of the TIC framework among residents in 4 LTC facilities. The fourth phase will involve widespread dissemination of the framework to other LTCHs across Canada. We anticipate that implementing TIC in LTC will reduce challenging symptoms, decrease potentially inappropriate medication use and improve quality of life for residents, along with contributing to improved workplaces for staff. This project will also produce a TIC framework and training resources which can be shared with LTC facilities across Canada, supporting other facilities to adopt trauma-sensitive practices.