Advance Directives & Unlimited Treatment Preference in Dementia Scenario: Insights of Community-Dwelling Adults

TL;DR

This study explores how community-dwelling adults decide about unlimited medical treatment in dementia scenarios, finding that religious beliefs and attitudes toward life-sustaining care strongly influence these preferences.

Contribution

The study identifies specific factors influencing treatment preferences in dementia scenarios, emphasizing the role of religious beliefs and attitudes toward life-sustaining care.

Findings

26.9% of participants preferred unlimited medical treatment in dementia scenarios.

Preference for unlimited treatment was strongly linked to attitudes favoring life-sustaining treatments and religious beliefs.

Interest in quality-of-life information at end-of-life was negatively associated with preferring unlimited treatment.

Abstract

Dementia leads to progressive cognitive decline, impairing self-care and decision-making. Advance directives (AdvDirs) enable individuals to document healthcare preferences while cognitively capable, ensuring value-aligned care and reducing caregiver burden. This study explores factors influencing preferences for unlimited medical treatment in hypothetical Alzheimer’s disease/dementia scenarios among community-dwelling adults. This cross-sectional study surveyed 163 community-dwelling adults (18+), using structured questionnaires to collect sociodemographic, health, and AdvDirs-related data. Key predictors included attitudes toward life-sustaining treatments, comfort discussing death, religious practices, and interest in quality-of-life information related to end-of-life care. The primary outcome was preference for unlimited medical treatment in hypothetical dementia scenarios. Bivariate and multivariate logistic analyses assessed associations, adjusting for covariates. In the dementia scenario, 26.9% of participants preferred unlimited medical treatment. This preference was strongly associated with a pre-existing attitude favoring life-sustaining treatments (OR = 4.24, 95% CI: 1.73 – 10.37, p = 0.002) and religious beliefs (OR = 5.68, 95% CI: 1.51–21.43, p = 0.01). Conversely, an interest in learning about quality of life at the end of life was negatively associated with preferring unlimited treatment (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09-0.89, p = 0.03). Our findings highlight the need to align advance care planning with individuals’ values, beliefs, and religious practices. Raising awareness of quality-of-life considerations in end-of-life care may lead to a shift in preference toward palliative care rather than aggressive treatment. Healthcare providers should discuss treatment trade-offs with cultural and religious sensitivity to support informed decision making.