Project Overview

According to Statistics Canada, over 9,000 Saskatchewan residents aged 18 and older die each year, many of whom will have experienced a progression of illness over the course of days, weeks, or months. In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region (RQHR) provided palliative care services to 420 in-patients and 317 home care patients. Palliative care recognizes death as a natural part of the life cycle and aims to provide comfort care to terminally ill patients when life-saving measures are no longer possible. Palliation is multi-faceted and holistic; it recognizes the importance of caring for all aspects of the person, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as supporting family members. This study will build upon recently published research from an intensive care unit in Ontario. Our pilot study will be innovative in its adaptation of the Three Wishes program to in-patient and home-based palliative care patients, with the aim of improving quality of life and psychosocial well-being for palliative care patients and their families in the RQHR. Participants will be asked to list three wishes, that we will aim to fulfil via this project. Based on previous research, wishes are expected to be modest in nature and thus reasonable for the research team to facilitate (e.g., having their favourite flowers in the hospital room, dedicating a park bench in their memory, facilitating a Skype call to relatives overseas). A combination of quantitative data and one-on-one interviews will be used to examine the efficacy of this program in helping patients to foster a sense of closure and to improve their quality of life. This study will mark the first time that this program has been offered within a Palliative Care unit and Home Care program. This pilot study will be used as the foundation for an application to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Scheme for funding to support a multi-site randomized controlled trial. This future trial will compare the efficacy of the Three Wishes program to other models of psychosocial support in a palliative care setting.