Clinical Tools
South East Tools
- Inter-professional Palliative Symptom Management Guidelines
- NEW COVID-19 Prescription/Order Form (and Background Memo)
- Guide for Talking About Your Wishes and Goals
- COVID-19 Continuous Palliative Sedation Therapy Guidelines
- Palliative Care Resources to Support Frontline Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Summarizes readily available tools/resources to support palliative care delivery (Ontario Palliative Care Network - OPCN).
- Managing Expected Death in the Home During COVID-19 (OPCN)
- COVID-19 Specific Person-Centred Decision-Making Tools (Hospice Palliative Care Ontario - HPCO).
- Resource Toolkit: Providing Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Residents in Long-Term Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic (OPCN)
- Strategies for Potential Shortages in Medications Relevant to Palliative Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic (OPCN)
- Grief and Bereavement Resources to Support Professionals (OPCN)
- Planning for Palliative Care Delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: To assist those who may be participating in their institutional/local planning tables to develop a response for COVID-19 (OPCN).
- Pandemic Care: Beyond Ventilators and Saving Lives (CMAJ Article).
- Free Palliative Care Education : LEAP Modules and Webinars (Pallium Canada); HCC ACP & GOC Modules (HPCO).
- Emotional, Spiritual & Compassionate Care during the COVID – 19 Pandemic, Webinar Series: Each session will start with 20 minutes of information pertaining to a useful skill in providing care. The remainder of the time will be used for participants to debrief and receive mutual support during this crisis (HPCO).
Screening Tools
Screen regularly for distress and other needs using validated screening tools. Type and timeline of assessments depend on the severity, extent of life interference, urgency and complexity of the symptoms or needs identified.
- Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS, Cancer Care Ontario)
- Palliative Performance Scale (PPS, Cancer Care Ontario)
- Ken Rockwood 9 point Frailty Tool (Dalhousie University)
- Patient Reported Functional Status (PRFS/ECOG, Cancer Care Ontario)
The Ontario Palliative Care Network's toolkit provides best-practice tools from around the world to support primary care providers in the delivery of palliative care. All the tools are organized according to the 3-step-model of best practice: identify, assess and plan.
Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) has a toolkit and reference material to support palliative care within First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous families and communities
Canadian Virtual Hospice has developed nine grief training modules to support paramedics. Paramedics and grief experts collaborated to develop MyGriefToolbox.ca to help you deliver the care that matters at the most difficult time of life.Palliative Care Plan for Expected Death at Home
The Yellow Folder is a regionally recognized initiative to support planning for expected death in the community. It is a communication tool for planning an expected death at home to the patient’s whole care team, including Funeral Home/Crematorium and is initiated by either the Home and Community Care Visiting Nurse or Care Coordinator.
Here are a few components of the Yellow Folder:
- Guidelines for Family/Caregiver/Agency At Time of Death (PDF)
- When Death Occurs At Home – Caregiver Guide (PDF)
- Expected Death in the Community Planning Tool (PDF)
- Checklist for Planning an Expected Death at Home (PDF)
- Do Not Rescuitate Confirmation (DNR-C) Form