Advance care planning for people with dementia
UK policy and guidance state that people should have their preferences and priorities for end of life care recorded in the form of an advance care plan. However, for people with dementia and their families, issues of reduced capacity, difficulties with discussing end of life preferences and staff understanding can present challenges. This research focus summarises two studies that explore these issues.
This study explores the effectiveness of an education programme, Let Me Decide, designed to support the development of advance care planning (ACP) for people with cognitive impairment and frailty.
The programme was implemented with 30 senior nurses from two nursing homes and one community hospital in Ireland, totalling 290 beds. Surveys were carried out with staff to assess knowledge of ACP and palliative care, learning needs and