Comprehensive Care for the Older Adult: Terminal Dementia and End of Life

Course overview

The last six months of life is considered the terminal or end-stage of dementia. Patients living at home will require the utmost attention during the dying process. While Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are terminal, they are often not recognized and appropriate comfort approaches are not used. The need for holistic care, including maximizing comfort across all quality of life domains, is critical to effective patient disease management. This course will discuss strategies for maximizing comfort at the end of life, promoting goals of care, managing functional changes, and methods of educating patients and family members.