Award Date: 2018

Project Lead(s): Linda Lee, Family Physician

Project Title: Enabling Advance Care Planning in Dementia Care: A Primary Care Approach

What is the issue? 

Older adults with dementia frequently have multiple, complex medical conditions. As dementia advances, they may be unable to express their preferences when treatments and healthcare decisions are required in the future.  

What did we do? 

We developed the Advance Care Planning Framework, a tool that guides discussions by healthcare professionals working in family practice. Our objective was to help guide future decision making made on behalf of people with dementia by their care partners.  

What did we find? 

The Advance Care Planning Framework was a valuable tool for people living with dementia, their caregivers, and healthcare providers. People with dementia and their caregivers, more so than the healthcare providers, felt that the questions were acceptable for discussions. We plan to continue refining the tool, incorporating feedback on areas of improvement identified by healthcare providers.