The Program

ACTPlan is a research-tested program to reduce suffering and improve quality of life for loved ones with dementia as well as their caregivers and other family members.

Program Overview

“Advance care planning” literally means planning medical care in advance for oneself or a loved one—before a crisis occurs that could require a difficult treatment decision under duress. ACTPlan gives caregivers the knowledge and understanding they need to put advance care plans in place for loved ones with dementia. The four sessions of the Program cover common medical decisions often encountered in dementia near end of life, and how to be prepared for them. Scroll over each session topic below for a summary of highlights.

Session 1

Tube Feeding

Session 1

Program overview, types of dementia, facts about tube feeding in dementia, risks and benefits, introduction to advance care planning, role of trust/mistrust in provider.

Session 2

Mechanical Ventilation

Session 2

Review of types of dementia, stages of Alzheimer’s disease, aspiration pneumonia in dementia, mechanical ventilation risks and benefits, advance care planning.

Session 3

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Session 3

Dementia facts and myths, types of irreversible dementia, causes of Alzheimer’s disease, how CPR works, risks and benefits of CPR in dementia, advance care planning, surrogacy.

Session 4

Advance Care Planning

Session 4

More on dementia, dealing with resistance in health care providers, role of written advance care plans, more about surrogacy, completing action plans for the future.

The ACTPlan Program

The ACTPlan Program is an original research-tested approach found effective for family caregivers providing care for loved ones with dementia. Each session uses on-screen navigation instructions to pause or repeat the video for playback of materials presented by an expert instructor. The program provides opportunities for participants to repeat new concepts for understanding complex information described during the lecture series. The caregivers can share the new knowledge with loved ones to promote mutual support for each other.