The need for better palliative care in nursing homes is significant. Consider this: the majority of the 1.4 million adults residing in U.S. nursing homes grapple with serious illnesses, and roughly half experience dementia. Many also suffer from distressing symptoms like pain. In addition, about 25% of all deaths in the United States occur within these facilities.

Despite these substantial needs, specialized palliative care beyond hospice is rare in nursing homes. Furthermore, only about half of nursing home residents nearing the end of life receive hospice care.

So, how can we improve palliative care for individuals in nursing homes? Today's podcast explores this crucial question with three leading experts: Connie Cole, Kathleen Unroe, and Cari Levy.

Our discussion delves into:

• The specific palliative care needs of nursing home residents.

• How to think about primary and specialized palliative care in this setting.

• The obstacles hindering referrals to palliative care services.

• Practical strategies to overcome these barriers and enhance care.

We also take a dive into these 2 articles that Connie first authored:

• Palliative care in nursing homes: A qualitative study on referral criteria and implications for research and practice. JAGS 2024

• Nursing Home Palliative Care Referral Process, Barriers, and Proposed Solutions: A Qualitative Study. 2024

If you are interested in learning more, check out some of our other palliative care in nursing home podcasts including:

• Discussion of a primary palliative care multinational trial with Lieve Van den Block

• Understanding the variability in nursing home care

• A podcast on Palliative Rehab?!? with Ann Henshaw, Tamra Keeney, and Sarguni Singh