End-of-Life Decision Making for People Who Died of Dementia: A Mortality Follow-Back Study Comparing 1998, 2007, and 2013 in Flanders, Belgium

Declining cognitive abilities in people with dementia (PwD) complicate communication and decision making,1 particularly at end of life. These circumstances lead to insecurity among physicians about end-of-life decisions (ELDs) and preferences of PwD. ELDs entail a range of medical decisions with potential life-shortening effects that can be categorized into 3 types: (1) withholding or withdrawing potentially life-prolonging treatment; (2) alleviating pain or symptoms pharmaceutically, in large enough doses to hasten death as a potential side effect; and (3) administration, prescription, or supply of drugs to end life at the patient's explicit request, including euthanasia (legally possible in Belgium for people with mental capacity).
Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research