A review of advance care planning programs in long-term care homes: are they dementia friendly?
Background. Persons living with dementia in the long-term care home (LTCH) setting have a number of unique needs, including those related to planning for their futures. It is therefore important to understand the advance care planning (ACP) programs that have been developed and their impact in order for LTCH settings to select a program that best suits residents' needs. Methods. Four electronic databases were searched from 1990 to 2013, for studies that evaluated the impact of advance care planning programs implemented in the LTCH setting. Studies were critically reviewed according to rigour, impact, and the consideration of the values of residents with dementia and their family members according to the Dementia Policy Lens Toolkit. Results and Conclusion. Six ACP programs were included in the review, five of which could be considered more "dementia friendly." The programs indicated a variety of positive impacts in the planning and provision of end-of-life care for residents and their family members, most notably, increased ACP discussion and documentation. In moving forward, it will be important to evaluate the incorporation of residents with dementia's values when designing or implementing ACP interventions in the LTCH settings.
School of Nursing, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1.
Abigail
A
Wickson-Griffiths
School of Nursing, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1.
Sharon
S
Kaasalainen
School of Nursing, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1 ; Department of Health, Aging and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1.
Jenny
0000-0001-8168-8449
J
Ploeg
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7 ; Geriatric Psychiatry Service, St. Joseph's Healthcare, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7.
Carrie
C
McAiney