Balancing Infection Prevention and Control Measures with Person-Centered Care

"The purpose of this CIHR-funded study is to examine the experiences of healthcare providers working in long-term care, as well as residents and family caregivers, regarding person-centred care during the implementation of Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) protective measures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including the present, and to propose solutions for addressing related ethical tensions. During the pandemic, healthcare providers in long-term care homes observed harmful effects of pandemic-related IPAC measures on residents' well-being. They faced professional and ethical dilemmas, describing feeling ""trapped"" between adhering to IPAC protective measures and supporting residents' well-being. However, there remains a lack of clear, comprehensive guidelines on how to integrate person-centred care principles with IPAC measures. This is an integrated knowledge translation study being conducted across several provinces. We are conducting virtual interviews with study participants - long-term care home healthcare providers, residents and family caregivers. Data will be analyzed in each province and cross-provincial comparisons will be made. Along with our study advisory committee, which will include decision-makers, study collaborators, and a subset of participants who were interviewed, we will co-develop recommendations. The implications of our work extend beyond the pandemic to routine practice and represent a step toward developing sustainable solutions to strengthen the quality of health services in Canadian long-term care homes."