Health Sciences
Jenny van der Steen, MSc, PhD, FGSA (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor
Public Health and Primary Care
Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Jenny van der Steen, MSc, PhD, FGSA (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor
Public Health and Primary Care
Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Josie Dixon, PhD (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professorial Research Fellow
Department of Health Policy
London School of Economics and Political Science
London, England, United Kingdom
Nathan Davies, PhD
Associate Professor
Primary care and population health
University College London
London, England, United Kingdom
Sharon Kaasalainen, RN, PhD (she/her/hers)
Professor
Nursing
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Dementia involves coping with advancing illness that involves cognitive and functional decline. Also decision-making capacity diminishes, which implies that preparing for a future and taking opportunities to exercise individual and relational autonomy is particularly relevant in the case of dementia. Engaging the person with dementia and family caregivers meaningfully in formal or informal advance care planning conversations may require addressing specific challenges. Health care providers often lack time or are reluctant to broach these conversations. Often conversations are delayed even in institutional long-term care settings as residents, their family caregivers and care providers may all view advance care planning as uncomfortable and difficult to initiate. Special support for health care providers to develop skills, confidence and taking initiative is needed. This symposium presents about new, large qualitative and quantitative studies with contributions from the UK and Canada, and international work. It addresses preparing for an uncertain future through advance care planning and decision making about future care and treatment which may include conversations about the end of life. We present and evaluate tools to support the process across settings.
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Jenny T. van der Steen, MSc, PhD, FGSA (she/her/hers) – Leiden University Medical Center
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Josie Dixon, PhD (she/her/hers) – London School of Economics and Political Science
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Nathan Davies, PhD – University College London
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Sharon Kaasalainen, RN, PhD (she/her/hers) – McMaster University