A tormented death: end-of-life care for people with dementia.

District nurses are often faced with difficulties when patients with dementia lack the capacity to express how they feel and the family has to make end-of-life decisions for the sufferer. Although 25% of palliative care is concerned with controlling physical symptoms, health professionals are sometimes faced with challenges when one comorbidity masks another. The GP-patient relationship is central to improving overall care for these vulnerable patients and there is a continual need for a workforce to be trained and empowered to provide care with precision. This article discusses the importance of correct diagnosis during end-of-life care and makes recommendations on how this can be achieved.