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Table 1 Contents of the booklet

From: Development and testing of an informative guide about palliative care for family caregivers of people with advanced dementia

1) Information on the clinical symptoms in advanced stages of dementia and causes of death

2) Goals of palliative care: when, where and how to seek palliative care support

3) Legal basis of decision making including the role of the patient and their advance directives as well as the role of the legal representative and the doctor in ethical problems

4) Life prolonging measures, i.e. tube feeding, admission to hospital, intensive care treatment, resuscitation; consequences for the patient

5) Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options for dyspnea, pain, agitation, anxiety and delirium; thirst and hunger at end of life

6) Dying, death and after death; if applicable, advantages and disadvantages of different options are explained.

A checklist assists the reader in ensuring that all necessary issues have been taken into consideration.

An overview of the common drugs used in palliative care completes the booklet