Catherine Rowlands and Julie Rowlands explore the literature to discover whether patients with dementia receive appropriate and effective end of life care

This literature review surveys palliative care received by people with dementia, and identifies challenges and barriers to its delivery. These include communication problems, lack of understanding of dementia as a terminal disease, difficulty with prognostication, and lack of training of general and mental health care staff in palliative care and the specific needs of this client group.

A gap in research mirrors the gap in practice. The literature shows that individuals with end-stage dementia have a number of symptoms for which they do not receive effective palliation and often the dying phase goes unrecognised. Further investigation resulting in evidence-based action should address these issues without delay.