Keywords: Interprofessional; Collaboration; Dementia; Palliative care

"There Is An I In We Collaborative Awareness In The Dedicated Palliative Care Approach For Persons With Dementia"

Interprofessional collaboration in palliative care in dementia embraces collaboration from a triad perspective (1. persons with dementia, 2. Informal caregivers and 3. healthcare professionals from different disciplines). This thesis identified the collaboration elements and needs from this triad perspective, and focused on two prominent scopes within palliative dementia care, namely 1) the transition from home to a nursing home and 2) advance care planning (‘talking about wishes and needs for future care’) in the nursing home. The key collaboration elements include communication; shared decision-making; monitoring; coordinating; evaluating; and facilitating collaboration through resources. Important collaboration elements involve receiving information, receiving tailored care and acknowledging persons with dementia as individuals with their own voice. With regard the transition to a nursing home, healthcare professionals should conduct anticipatory conversations about a possible transition, appoint one contact person, and organise a warm handover to the nursing home. Communicating about a possible future transition is also part of advance care planning, which should ideally start in the home care setting and continue in the nursing home with a clear collaborative structure.

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