This qualitative exploratory study aimed to describe the experiences and practices of care facility directors residents dying in Portuguese residential care facilities (RCFs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was obtained from 17 care director facilities who participated in focus groups. The data analysis followed the interpretative phenomenological approach. Participants stated that practices surrounding the death of the residents in Portuguese RCFs changed significantly from before to during the pandemic, regarding both those who died from COVID-19 infection and from other conditions. Four themes emerged that illustrated the situation during the peaks of the pandemic. During the pandemic, practices and experiences quite different from the usual ones have emerged. These results support the importance of a good death, and dying with dignity in RCFs, and the need for policies, practices, and training on the death of residents in RCFs in Portugal.

Cristiana do Nascimento, PhD student in the doctoral program in gerontology and geriatrics, University of Aveiro, Portugal. She is the founder and director of the CASA MAIOR group, geriatric residences organizational psychologist/gerontologist. She is an effective member of the order of portuguese psychologists No. 020412. She is a specialist in social work and organizational psychology and also a specialist in psychogerontology, master in organizational management advanced post-university training in palliative care.