Implications for practice
dementia
DISEASE PROGRESSION, DISEASE
This data supports the use of the CANDID tool in practice. The tool elicits carers’ perceptions about their care recipient’s current and future needs enabling clinicians to understand where additional support is required and to work collaboratively with carers to establish the goals of care and future care planning. A palliative care approach for people living with dementia refers to inclusive care that includes treatment of their health issues, comorbidities and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. This approach forms the baseline level of care however, a continuum of care from the point of diagnosis throughout the disease trajectory with specialist palliative care addressing changing care goals should be available [Health professionals may need to assist carers to navigate changes in social and peer interactions, familial relations, intimate relationships, spiritual attitudes, a complex aged-care system, and diverse levels of service provision. Facilitating and enabling adaptation and acceptance of disease progression, palliative care, end-of-life issues, and symptom management by the caregiver falls to the health professionals who are caring for them. Having those difficult conversations and knowing how to collaboratively find solutions that facilitate positive change is essential to minimize distress associated with end-of-life caregiving.