Join us April 29 at Noon ET for the CLSA webinar, “Quality of dying in Canada: an analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Decedent Questionnaire.” The webinar will be presented by Komal Aryal, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Understanding the factors that contribute to a peaceful and dignified death is essential for improving end-of-life care in Canada. Despite ongoing efforts to enhance palliative and hospice services, variations persist in the quality of death experiences based on location, medical decisions, and personal characteristics. This webinar will present the personal and end-of-life factors associated with peace with dying among older adults in Canada, as well as explore how location of death and the consideration or receipt of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) influenced the perceived quality of death and dying.
Using data from the CLSA, this study included next-of-kin interviews of deceased CLSA participants who died between June 2016 and March 2022. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between demographic, clinical, and end-of-life characteristics and peace with dying. Additionally, the impact of location of death and MAiD on various quality-of-death indicators, including dying with dignity, dying without pain, and dying in one’s preferred place, were examined.
Findings from the study underscore the importance of advanced care planning and patient-centered end-of-life interventions to ensure dignified and peaceful deaths across care settings in Canada.
Komal Aryal is a dedicated researcher specializing in end-of-life outcomes for older adults, driven by a passion for improving care for vulnerable populations. Her doctoral work, conducted using the extensive Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) dataset, provided critical insights into the factors influencing the quality of death and dying. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospital, she continues to advance this field, leveraging her expertise in quantitative methods and investigating AI methods in palliative care. Komal’s research focuses on the intersection of aging, healthcare disparities, and advanced data science, with a particular interest in translating research findings into practical interventions that enhance patient-centered care. Her commitment to ethical research practices and interdisciplinary collaboration underscores her dedication to making a meaningful impact on the lives of older adults.
