Exploring the perspectives of health care professionals providing palliative care to older adults experiencing homelessness: a qualitative study

An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to examine the perspectives of health care professionals providing palliative care to older adults experiencing homelessness through the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) model. The lived experiences of health care professionals were explored, along with the perceived facilitators, barriers, and recommendations to identify best practices in the delivery of palliative care for this vulnerable population. One-on-one interviews were conducted virtually with participants (n=11) from a Southeastern Ontario clinic and hub. Five themes emerged from the verbatim transcripts, using thematic analysis: advocacy for patients, facilitators, barriers relating to homelessness and healthcare, and future recommendations. The findings suggest the need to deliver palliative care in community-based settings through the co-location of medical and social services, using an interprofessional approach for low-barrier access. This study can help inform clinical practice, education, health policy, and future research to address the unique needs of this population.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Health Sciences (MHSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Community, Public and Population Health

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Shamaa, Hala

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Sun, Winnie

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2104

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2104