What does palliative care look like in a New Zealand aged residential care facility when patients are admitted to die?

Aims: New Zealanders dying in public hospitals or hospices are increasingly being discharged and admitted-to-die in aged residential care (ARC) facilities as hospitals and hospices struggle to meet demand. This study sought to investigate how care is delivered to patients admitted-to-die in an ARC facility.

Methods: A mixed-methods case study including a clinical notes review of seven patients who died in one ARC facility within three months of admission and a focus group with ARC facility staff and visiting professionals from other organisations.