Considerations for Individuals with Dementia or Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affect millions of people every year. It is a progressive, terminal disease that starts with mental decline (mild memory loss, confusion, inability to problem-solve, etc.), and advances to a point where individuals become unable to speak and walk, and are dependent on others for assistance with eating, dressing, bathing and toileting.

People with advancing dementia lose the ability to make decisions for themselves and their loved ones will need to make medical decisions for them at some point.

Used with permission from Adrienne Doucette & Denise Weeks. Adrienne Doucette is a companion to those with dementia, a hospice volunteer, and a passionate advocate for end-of-life planning. Denise Weeks is a caregiver, a trained advance care planning facilitator, and the author of Mantra: Repetition in the Land of Alzheimer’s.

Helpful Tools for Planning Ahead for Living with Dementia

Conversation Starter Kit – Alzheimer’s and Other Forms of Dementia Dementia Road Map – Guide for Family & Care Partners New England Healthy Living Collective Massachusetts Age- and Dementia Friendly Integration Toolkit Living Well with Dementia Dartmouth Dementia Directive & Toolkit

Vermont does not have a specific dementia directive. Rather, a dementia directive can be integrated into a Vermont Advance Directive to address specific preferences regarding this disease by adding a statement “see attached dementia directive”.

The following forms have been used by people seeking to communicate specific preferences regarding dementia/Alzheimer’s.

Note: See FAQ on adding a personal statement or additional pages to a Vermont Advance Directive.

To Read More about Foregoing Oral Feeding and Drinking See:

• Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking
• Honoring Do Not Spoon Feed Requests