End of Life Care for People with Dementia

A good practice guide to ensuring the best possible care for people with dementia at the end of life

Providing compassionate, person-centred care for a person with dementia as they approach the end of life is a key issue in dementia care , and this book provides practical strategies to ensure physical and emotional wellbeing, guidance on ethical issues, useful examples for practice and solutions to possible obstacles.

People with dementia need increasingly specialised support as they approach the end of life, and so too do their families and the professionals working with them. This book describes not only what can be done to ensure maximum quality of life for those in the final stages of the illness, but also how best to support those involved in caring for them.

Emphasising the importance of being attuned to the experiences and needs of the person with dementia, the authors explain why and how they should be included in decisions relating to their end of life care. Practical strategies for ensuring physical and emotional wellbeing are provided, drawing on useful examples from practice and providing solutions to potential challenges that carers and family members will face. Dilemmas surrounding end of life care are explored in detail, including the moral dilemma of medical intervention, and the authors suggest ways of supporting family members through the process in terms of providing information, helping them adjust to change and loss, and involving them in their relative's care, and at how care staff can be supported through appropriate education and training, team building and information-giving.

This is an essential resource for anyone who wishes to provide compassionate, person-centred care for a person with dementia as they approach the end of life, including care staff, nurses, social workers and related professionals.