Improving End-of-Life Care for Veterans in Community Nursing Homes
Official title: Improving Quality of End-of-Life Care for Veterans Receiving Hospice in Community Nursing Homes
Funded at VA Boston Health Care System · NIH-11319895 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant aims to understand and improve the quality of hospice care for Veterans who receive end-of-life support in community nursing homes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Boston Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003744-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319895 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans receiving hospice services in VA Community Living Centers or VA-contracted community nursing homes and their families.
✕Less likely to help
Patients in settings outside CNHs or not enrolled in VA hospice programs may not directly benefit from this grant.
What this research studies
As a patient-facing project, researchers will examine how care is delivered to Veterans in non-hospital settings and identify ways to enhance comfort, dignity, and communication at the end of life. The study will look at structures and processes in community nursing homes that influence care quality and explore interventions that could harmonize practices across facilities. Findings could guide better training, care planning, and collaboration among staff, families, and VA leadership to improve Veterans’ last months and days. Participation may involve reviewing records, surveys with families, and collaboration with facilities to implement proven improvements.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to higher quality, more consistent hospice care for Veterans in CNHs and better support for their families.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown wide variation in EOL care quality across CNHs, indicating room for targeted improvements.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Boston Health Care System
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wachterman, Melissa — VA Boston Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Wachterman, Melissa
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.