Palliative care for people with dementia: a literature review

With growing numbers of people dying with, and from, dementia there is a need for professionals and health-care organisations to review the access to and provision of palliative care. This literature review has identified several key themes in relation to the person dying with dementia including: diagnosis of the dying phase, appropriate timing of referral to specialist palliative care services; ethical decisions in relation to medication and nutrition; the environment; undertreatment especially, for pain relief; over and burdensome treatment interventions; carer involvement; collaborative working and advance decision making.