Future care

Although not considered a legal document, an advance directive (also known as a living will) allows persons with dementia to outline the treatment and care they would like in the future, when they may not be able to communicate their wishes. 

An advance directive enables people with dementia to:

• Give their consent to particular forms of treatment
• Refuse certain treatments
• Give the name of someone they want to make decisions about care and treatment on their behalf

You can’t use an advance directive to ask a doctor to do anything unlawful and you cannot refuse basic care such as food, drink and pain relief.