Persons with advanced dementia require specialised and extensive medical support as they are frequently unable to articulate their needs and discomfort. Families and caregivers are often at a loss on how to care for their loved ones. Palliative care for these persons can help to alleviate these discomforts at their final stage of life.

Under the Programme Dignity pilot programme, a specialised Advanced Dementia Palliative Home Care Team comprising of a resident physician, consulting geriatrician/ palliative physician, nurse clinician and a medical social worker supported persons with dementia and their caregivers with dedicated and holistic palliative home care services. The caregivers were further supported through phone calls to help them in their psychological well-being, identifying symptoms and giving pain relief to their loved ones. They also had round-the-clock access to the Care Team so that in the event of emergency, assistance was rendered promptly.

The programme supported 372 advanced dementia patients and their caregivers from 2014 to 2017.