Current projects
There is an urgent need to draw attention to how our health care system can create and perpetuate inequities. Our research program seeks to address these inequities through prioritizing our research on the needs of those who are currently excluded.
In care, it includes approaches that re-centre and prioritize the individual in their family and community context. It may mean redirecting resources based on need or policy changes to enable supportive approaches to care. The goal is a robust health, social, economic, and political systems that can support families and communities to attend to death and dying wherever it happens.
Current research projects
Supporting Vulnerable and Marginalized Older Adults to be Cared for and to Die at 'Home'
Caregiving for Vulnerable and Marginalized Older Adults at the End of Life
Dying at Home (A Mixed Method Policy Research Study of Dying at Home)
Towards Equity-Informed Care: Making Visible the Needs of People who are Socially Disadvantaged
By partnering with people who are experiencing social disadvantage, we want to identify some quality of life assessments that can measure what matters to people when interacting with the health care system. Towards Equity-informed Care website.
Tackling the Home Care Challenge: A Mixed Methods Study of Publicly Funded Home Care Services in 4 Canadian Cities
Population aging, technological advancements and burgeoning costs are expected to contribute to growth within and demands on the Canadian home care sector. Several reports highlight the growing demand for home care and the urgent need to re-envision a publicly-funded home care system that promotes equitable and consistent access to care for older adults that is sustainable into the future. Tackling the Home Care Challenge website.
Improving Access to Palliative Approaches to Care for Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations
Current palliative care services are not well equipped or designed for adults with complex service needs and who are vulnerably housed, living in shelters or in parks or on the streets. Partnerships built during previous CIHR & CCSRI research culminated in funding for clinical services (physician and nurse coordinator) to improve care at end-of-life for people experiencing structural vulnerability.
Catalyst funds for the Palliative Outreach Resource Team (PORT) were provided by Saint Elizabeth Foundation to Victoria Cool Aid Society and supplemented by Island Health. Alongside this clinical service, we were funded by the Vancouver Foundation to conduct Participatory Action Research to develop, implement, and evaluate PORT and figure out the best ways to integrate palliative approaches to care in inner-city settings. Improving Access website.