Hewson, JenniferHogan, DavidShaw, Marta2015-04-302015-06-222015-04-302015http://hdl.handle.net/11023/2204Currently, patient wishes for healthcare at EOL are not readily followed due to a lack of effective communication as well as discordance between patients’ preferences and medical orders. Advance Care Planning involves reflection on and communication of a person’s future healthcare preferences. In Supportive Living, residents are at risk of cognitive decline and frailty, requiring healthcare decisions. ACP is recommended but readiness to engage is not known. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of readiness, factors influencing readiness and strategies to improve ACP interventions of SL residents, their families/decision-makers and clinicians. This qualitative study utilized an Interpretive Descriptive approach. For SL residents, ACP is related to making the transition to SL. Families of SL residents draw on experience as a prior decision-maker. Clinicians vary in their comfort with ACP engagement. Themes across the groups include: variable definition of ACP, roles in ACP, readiness for engagement and barriers/facilitators. These findings can be used to contribute to the understanding of ACP engagement, inform the clinical approach and provide future direction for ACP research.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Social WorkPublic HealthAdvance Care PlanningEnd of Life CareHealth Services Researchmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/25300