A Daughter Follows Her Mother’s Advance Care Plan After Dementia Diagnosis

Crystal MacCormac describes how her mother’s early instructions shaped the family’s handling of her vascular dementia diagnosis, made when the mother was 65. The mother had previously documented her wishes for advocacy, nursing-home admission, funeral planning and a do-not-resuscitate order after caring for her own mother for five years. When the diagnosis progressed, the family followed this blueprint, avoiding ad-hoc decisions.

Provincial home-care services supplied medical equipment and respite, while the Alzheimer’s Society provided counseling for MacCormac’s caregiver stress. Though moving the mother to a nursing home conflicted with her present desires, the prior plan gave MacCormac confidence to honor her mother’s long-standing preferences. She credits the advance plan for allowing her to advocate without guilt and to focus on her mother’s safety and happiness.