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Introduction: A palliative care approach can improve quality-of-life for people with dementia. It is the preference of many people with dementia to remain living at home until death, with the appropriate care. To develop a successful model for dementia palliative care in the community, it is essential to assimilate the perspectives and experiences of those affected. The guiding research question for this study was: What are people with dementia and family carers' views on a model for dementia palliative care?. Methods: Focus groups (n = 3) were conducted with bereaved or current family carers (n = 11), and people with dementia (n = 2). Discussions centred around a proposed model of dementia palliative care. These were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were identified: living and dying well with dementia; reducing carer burden to fulfil the wish for home care; and lack of faith in the healthcare system. One statement which summarised the analysis was: "Dementia palliative care is a dream, but not a reality." This reflected participants' repeated "wish" for this "ideal" model of care, but simultaneous scepticism regarding its implementation, based on their prior experiences of healthcare services. Conclusion: All participants were welcoming of the proposed model for dementia palliative care and were generally positive about palliative care as a concept relating to dementia. There was consensus that the model would allow people to live and die well with dementia, and reducing the carer burden would fulfil the wish to remain at home. However systemic changes in the healthcare system will be needed to facilitate a truly person-centred, holistic, individualised and flexible model of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Navigating medical care at the end of life can be a challenging experience for patients. There are also significant resource burdens, including intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, accompanying terminal illness. For actively dying patients, developing a care plan based on patient goals and delivering care at the bedside can enhance patient well-being, avoid inappropriate transfers or interventions, and improve resource management. Methods: The Rapid Response Team (RRT) is an around the clock intensivist service that responds to all acutely decompensating patients in our hospital. Through the Appropriate Care Escalation (ACE) program, the RRT intensivist identifies amongst decompensating patients, terminally ill individuals for whom prognosis is extremely poor irrespective of available interventions. These patients receive discussions about goals of care, code status, and management options. They receive care on a dedicated stepdown unit without escalation to the ICU. If aligned with patient goals, care plans incorporate critical care interventions including ventilator and vasopressor therapy. Results: Over 5 years, RRT identified 413 terminally ill patients under the ACE program to continue end of life care on the stepdown unit. Following discussions of goals, 60.8% of patients requested DNR/DNI, 30.9% were full code, and 8.5% requested DNR/OK-TO-INTUBATE status. At discharge, 82.1% of ACE patients expired compared to 23% of all RRT consultations. Patients received 233 critical care procedures at bedside including intubations, central access catheters and bronchoscopy. Conclusion: The ACE program helped identify, in real time, actively dying, terminally ill patients, establish patient goals, and expand critical care services outside the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]