Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialPalliative assessment and advance care planning in severe dementia: an exploratory randomized controlled trial of a complex intervention.
Patients with advanced dementia often receive poor end-of-life care. We aimed to design and pilot a palliative care and advance care plan (ACP) intervention. Patients had undergone emergency hospital admission and had severe dementia. ⋯ Only seven carers made ACPs. The care planning discussion was well received, but few carers wrote an ACP, despite intensive support from an experienced nurse specialist. Advance care planning is, in theory, a necessary intervention for people with severe dementia; the reluctance of carers to write plans needs to be explored further.