ArticleBMC medical ethics2025
Between hope and future planning: the dementia journey for care partners through the lens of relational autonomy.
Article in BMC medical ethics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Anticipatory grief among caregivers of people living with dementia: A scoping review.Palliative & supportive care · 2026Article
- Barriers and facilitators to implementing person-centred care among people living with dementia in nursing homes: a qualitative study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFuture planning is essential for care partners to discuss and prepare for the goals of care for their relatives living with dementia. However, engaging in these discussions can be particularly challenging as care partners navigate the unpredictable and uncertain trajectory of dementia. This study aimed to explore how care partners of persons living with dementia engage in future planning (or not) throughout the dementia journey.
methodsThis multi-method qualitative study used a relational autonomy framework to examine the experiences of care partners providing daily care to a person living with dementia. Fifteen care partners from British Columbia, Canada, participated in semi-structured interviews and maintained reflective diaries over a period of up to two years (August 2020-October 2023). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes related to future planning.
resultsFour key themes were identified through the analysis: (1) changes to living arrangements, as care partners adjusted to the evolving needs of their relatives; (2) anticipatory grief, reflecting the emotional impact of witnessing the progression of dementia; (3) future planning with changing health, highlighting the challenges of aligning care plans with the shifting health status of the person living with dementia; and (4) finding hope, as care partners sought meaning and optimism amidst uncertainty.
conclusionsThis study underscores the complex and dynamic nature of future planning for care partners of individuals with progressive dementias. The findings highlight the need for tailored resources and interventions to support care partners in navigating future planning discussions, particularly in light of the emotional and relational challenges they face. Developing such resources could improve the preparedness and well-being of care partners as they engage in this critical aspect of caregiving.
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