Advanced
Care Planning
As dementia progresses it becomes more difficult to communicate wishes and preferences for end-of-life care.
PLANNING AHEAD
Wendy Mitchell, who is living with dementia, talks to Michael Ball, on Radio 2 about her latest book – One last thing: How to live with the end in mind.
“Talking about dementia helps our care partners understand what we are going through as we progress. I actually think the greatest gift you can give your children is to talk about dying and death. How are your family supposed to know what you want in the future if you do not tell them?”
Making an advanced care plan, to include an advance decision (medical) and an advance statement (care preferences), will enable important decisions to be made about the kind of care required in the future.
What are the benefits of Advanced Care Planning?
- The person living with dementia and their family will have peace of mind over who can make decisions on their behalf.
- They have control over how decisions about how their affairs will be handled in the future.
- They can enact people they trust to safeguard their wishes and define who is legally authorised to speak on their behalf.
- This will leave the person with dementia confident that they have explained their wishes to the people they trust.
- An Advanced Care plan helps to improve the quality of life for the person living with dementia and ensures their safety.
Knowing the answer to these questions can give peace of mind, but what questions needed to be asked? Where do you start?
“When I could see dementia symptoms in my aunt, I used The Conversation Game cards to help me have a conversation about her end of life wishes. It enabled me to have a very clear understanding of what was important to her. I filed the information away safely and was incredibly grateful when, very unexpectedly 4 years later, I needed the information to have an ‘end of life’ conversation with a consultant in St Georges Hospital”. Dawn – Carer, West Sussex
Conversations for Life™ – conversations for end of life care
Not everyone has children or a family and people ageing without children can be left without support and help at a time when they need it most. More help and advice can be found at ageing without children for people who find themselves in this situation.
For further information and help on writing an Advanced Care Plan please follow the links below.
Alzheimer’s Society Adance Decisions and Advance Statement
Marie Curie advance care planning
Plan for Tomorrow, Live for Today – Mycarematters
Advance care planning can make the difference between a future where a person makes their own decisions and a future where others do.
OTHER POPULAR PAGES
Community News – Find out all that is happening in your local area from groups, clubs, and events to campaigns, such as Dementia Action Week. Find out what’s happening near you.
Community Blog – short informative stories written by our readers. Both professionals and people living with dementia or caring for someone with dementia.
