Decision-making at the end of life for patients with dementia

The current primary cause of ill health worldwide is dementia, at present there is no cure for dementia and at some point during the course of the disease, patients will require end of life care (EOLC). The irregular progression of patient deterioration warrants the need for specific decision making on EOLC strategies focused on dementia.

This study aims to determine what factors influence healthcare professionals’ clinical decision-making in providing EOLC to patients with dementia.

The study will look at observing healthcare professionals’s recognition of deterioration in patients with dementia and establishing the appropriateness of their clinical decision making in EOLC, including the reason behind the decision-making process of best place of care.

It will also look to establish if there are any facilitators and/or barriers associated with successfully recognising the deterioration of patients with dementia at end of life (EOL).

Lastly, the study will aim to develop a tool kit that can be used in help inform the clinical decision-making process in EOLC for patients with dementia.