Palliative care and dementia--A time and place?

Abstract

The current focus in dementia care places emphasis on the potential of people to live well with the condition. Given the historical tendency to neglect the full rights and citizenship of people with dementia, such an emphasis gives hope and optimism that there is life after diagnosis. This paper seeks to explore the potential compromise of effective preparation for the complexities of advanced illness that may be presented by this consistently up-beat message. Dementia is a life limiting condition, currently without cure. Therefore, the appropriateness of palliative care may seem obvious. Yet, until relatively recently, palliative care was seen as an adjunct to oncology in the minds of professionals and public alike. However, there is a growing recognition that specialist palliative care has much to offer people with a range of long term conditions, including people with dementia. So, whilst 'living well' is an important message-especially following diagnosis-planning for advanced dementia and dying well is equally important. The aim of this paper is to highlight policy on the living well and the palliative care approach for people with dementia. A word limited narrative literature review was conducted to explore how policies have or have not informed the literature on both messages. The findings emphasise the need for a continuum approach to dementia care, with discussion on when, where, and how can palliative care be delivered for people with dementia.

Keywords: Living well with dementia; Palliative care and dementia; Policy influences on practice.