Patients with chronic progressive disease or older adults with frailty and their family members generally have poor awareness about the illness prognosis and do not recognise the need of planning for future care. However, healthcare providers are hesitant to initiate relevant discussion given that Illness and death are considered as taboo topics. Without sufficient preparation, evidence have shown that conflicts between healthcare providers and families or among family members regarding the appropriate care during the last phase of life resulted in situations of health crisis. These tensions arise because most of the family members have poor understanding of available care options and were unclear about the care preferences of their sick relatives.

Capacity building is a cornerstone to effective ACP implementation. This project is an interdisciplinary cross-sectoral collaboration between academic and social care to equip health and social care providers with knowledge and skills to conduct ACP. The key deliverable is a comprehensive ACP training package, including a training manual and a series of demonstration videos. Six multicomponent training workshops will be delivered to approximately 240 health and social care providers involved in aged care or chronic disease management. In addition, an evidence-based e-Learning programme will be developed as a decision aid, based on the existing research work of the project team, to support client deliberation and information transfer across care settings. A mixed-method approach will be adopted to evaluate the training effectiveness and service impacts.

The impacts of this project are twofold. First, it is timely to enhance staff competence in ACP. The local government is planning to formulate a new legislation regarding advance directive. Relevant public awareness and service demand may be heightened in the near future. Second, the enhanced staff competence will increase accessibility and quality of ACP in the community care. Older adults / patients with chronic progressive disease and their family members would have easy access to participate in decision-making for future care.

- Health and social care staff working in community setting or residential care homes
- Older people / people with chronic progressive disease and their family members 

2022

Education, Healthcare