Advance Directives as Support of Autonomy for Persons with Dementia? A Pilot Study among Persons with Dementia and Their Informal Caregivers.

Background: Advance directives could be an important instrument to support a person's will once he/she is not able to consent anymore - if composed competently. A survey was conducted to identify the level of knowledge concerning possibilities and limits of advance directives.

Methods: The study was conducted as part of the Bavarian Dementia Survey (BayDem).