Goals of Care Discussions at End-of-Life with Families and Caregivers of Older Adults

The Heart to Heart: Communication Skills Essential to Palliative Care, implemented in 2004, is a comprehensive continuing medical education program for family physicians, providing essential tools to effectively communicate with patients and families nearing end of life and help them work with the intense emotions they encounter in these circumstances. This full-day interactive workshop provides professional healthcare participants with a practical, hands-on opportunity to engage with skilled simulation professionals (SPs) portraying family members across four palliative case scenarios. See Appendix A for the logistics for the full-day workshop that includes the scenario with the Goldstein family. The Max Goldstein case will be outlined here, a family meeting where the concerns of the family members regarding goals of care are discussed with the family doctor. The day is designed as a formative experience. Participants are divided into small groups with an opportunity to both engage in interactions and observe their colleagues in practice.