Role of nurses in supporting advance care planning for people living with dementia

Dementia is a life-limiting condition and a leading cause of death in the UK and globally. Advance care planning (ACP) is of particular relevance to people living with dementia due to the gradual loss of decision-making capacity and ability to communicate that they typically experience. However, many people living with dementia are not given the opportunity to undertake ACP. As a consequence, their end of life care needs often remain unmet. As part of the multidisciplinary team, nurses are well placed to engage people living with dementia and those close to them in timely ACP conversations so that the person's future care aligns with their expressed values, wishes and preferences. Collaborative healthcare services that normalise ACP as part of routine dementia care and provide staff with ACP training and mentoring are essential for supporting nurses to undertake ACP with people living with dementia and their families.