Applying A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care: An Essential Companion Toolkit for Planners, Policy Makers, Caregivers, Educators, Managers, Administrators and Researchers

APPLYING A MODEL TO GUIDE HOSPICE PALLATIVE CARE: AN ESSENTIAL COMPANION TOOLKIT FOR PLANNERS, POLICY MAKERS, CAREGIVERS, EDUCATORS, MANAGERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND RESEARCHERS

Background

What is A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care?

In March 2002, the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association published A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care: Based on National Principles and Norms of Practice (the Model). The Model sets out principles and norms of practice for hospice palliative care, which have been endorsed by hospice palliative care caregivers and organizations across the country.

The purpose of the Model is to create a shared vision for hospice palliative care in Canada and encourage a consistent approach to providing care and organizing services. It provides a common language, values and principles that people can use to guide their work. This, in turn, will help ensure that all Canadians have access to consistent, high quality hospice palliative care. Canada is the first country to have developed this specific kind of consensus-based roadmap or guide for hospice palliative care.

The norms describe the "usual" practice for hospice palliative care. Caregivers and organizations use the norms to set their own standards of practice.

How to Use the Model

The Model establishes the goalposts that all hospice palliative care programs and services in Canada should be striving to reach, and provides a roadmap to help them get there. Organizations are not expected to implement the complete Model across their hospice palliative care programs, services and organizations all at once. They are expected to start where they are and gradually, over time, use the Model to shape and strengthen all aspects of their practice. It is strongly suggested that organizations select tangible portions of their current program when beginning this process so the process does not overwhelm team members. This tactic will ensure that agreed upon goals and outcomes are achieved.

Organizations that have used the Model describe it as a catalyst for reviewing and improving practice, or as a touchstone that they continually use to ensure they are achieving their goals and making progress in fulfilling their mission. They stress that the Model is not a recipe: it does not tell hospice palliative care programs and services what to do or how to do it; the Model describes the desired practice they should be trying to achieve. It’s up to each organization to figure out the best way to get there.

About this Toolkit

This toolkit is not a stand-alone document. It is intended to be used in conjunction with the A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care: Based on National Principles and Norms of Practice, and makes references to specific pages in the Model throughout this toolkit. The toolkit provides examples of how the Model can be used to guide all aspects of planning and delivering hospice palliative care services. Copies of A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care: Based on National Principles and Norms of Practice can be obtained from the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association national office. Contact information can be found on page 2 of this toolkit.

Applying A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care: An Essential Companion Toolkit for Planners, Policy Makers, Caregivers, Educators, Managers, Administrators and Researchers