End of Life for People with Dementia: Part One was developed in consultation with members of the Alzheimer’s Australia National Consumer Advisory Committee and the author Professor Colleen Cartwright.

The publication discusses issues including palliative care, refusal of treatment, pain control, resuscitation, residential care, advance financial planning and enduring power of attorney.

According to Professor Cartwright, understanding what care planning options are legally available is important to ensure a person’s wishes for their end of life are recorded and respected. Taking the steps to plan in the early stages of dementia is fundamental and talking to family, carers, friends and doctors is essential.

Research has found that very few people want to leave such decisions to their family or their doctor, with most preferring to make their own decisions. The publication has been developed to provide a guide for people with dementia, their families and carers, about the legal options that people have available to them.

According to Alzheimer’s Australia, one in two people want to choose their own care options through advance care directives, yet 49% have not taken any actions to prepare for an event where they may lose the ability to make decisions.

To view the publication “End of Life for People with Dementia: Part One”, refer to the Dementia webpage.