NIH funds dementia advance care planning tool

(Via University of Utah) Thinking about disease, disability, and death is difficult at any age. But it becomes ever more important as our loved ones get older and need to start planning for a time when they can no longer make decisions about their own health and long-term care.

In an effort to promote these vital conversations, University of Utah Health scientists are developing a website to help those who are in the early stages of dementia share their desires for late-life medical treatment with their care partners.

The research, supported by a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, will evaluate the feasibility of using a self-guided, interactive intervention to simplify and expedite advanced care planning. Read on…