Sudden clinical changes in patients receiving palliative care can cause distress and unplanned ER visits, impacting a patient’s quality of life and their caregivers’ emotional well-being. Proactively identifying risks and having clear conversations empowers patients and caregivers to manage emergencies effectively while awaiting healthcare team support.

Using the term “emergency” in palliative care discussions, despite initial alarm, is crucial for preparing both caregivers and patients with essential information and actions to respond effectively to critical situations, ultimately improving patient care.]

Managing Emergencies with Compassion

Developed by the Canadian Home Care Association and the Montreal Institute of Palliative Care, these guides enable home care providers to engage in clear, compassionate conversations, helping families manage emergencies with confidence while waiting for professional assistance.  Using a holistic framework of “Head-Heart-Hands”, the guides make complex medical information accessible and easy to understand for both patients and caregivers.

Each guide includes:

  1. Conversation Checklist: A step-by-step checklist for difficult conversations with tips and suggested approaches.
  2. Clinical Information: Explanations of each emergency, including signs, symptoms, risk factors, conversation pointers, and care solutions to manage situations safely at home.
  3. Patient Tool: A separate leave behind with easy-to-understand techniques, tips and information to help patients and caregivers manage emergencies.

The guides are available as downloadable PDFs and can be customized with your organization’s logo for tailored use.

Breathing (dyspnea)

Balance (Hypercalcemia)

Bleeding (massive hemorrhage)

Brain (seizures)

Bones (spinal cord compression)

Blockage (superior vena cava obstruction)

Need Help Using the Guides?

Roleplay demonstrations of a Be Prepared: Palliative Emergencies in the Home Conversation Guide highlighting how the three sections of the guide can be effectively used.

Video that details how and when the guides can be used.

Role-play presentation from the VHA Home HealthCare team.

This project has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.

This post is also available in: French

Established in 1990, the Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA) is a national non-profit membership association dedicated to advancing excellence in home and community care.

National Office: 905-567-7373     |    General Inquiries: chca@cdnhomecare.ca

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This post is also available in: French