ABSTRACT
There are several issues that need to be addressed when providing care for individuals with advanced dementia. These issues include appropriate management of symptoms such as pain and behavioural problems, decisions regarding various medical interventions and involvement in programmes such as hospice. A crucial component of this care is providing information about benefits and burdens of these interventions to the proxy of the individual with dementia and supporting development of a care plan that takes into consideration previous wishes of the individual, if any, and his/her best interest as interpreted by the proxy decision-maker. The care plan should consider the goals of care and priority order of the three possible goals – survival, maintenance of function and comfort.1
