Conducting family meetings on families with dementia: An integrative review

Aim: To explore the role of family meetings for individuals living with dementia and their family caregivers. Design: Integrative review. Methods: We conducted searches in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase databases (up to December 2022). Additionally, an ancestry search strategy was employed to supplement the retrieval of published literature related to family meetings or family conferences for people with dementia and their family caregivers. Results: The review integrated 11 articles, comprising seven quantitative studies, two qualitative studies, and two case reports. The findings did not indicate a significant improvement in end-of-life quality for individuals with dementia in the family meetings group compared to those receiving usual care. Limited evidence suggested some improvement in mental health outcomes for family caregivers. Both intervention and control groups incurred high care costs. However, family meetings appeared to delay nursing home placements for individuals with dementia. Two qualitative studies provided insights into the experiences of families and healthcare professionals participating in family meetings, highlighting opportunities and challenges in implementing such meetings. Additionally, two case reports offered specific and illustrative accounts of typical family meetings. Conclusion: Family meetings can delay nursing home placements for elderly individuals with dementia. Families dealing with dementia perceive family meetings as an opportunity to collaborate with professionals in providing comprehensive care. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of family meetings in decision-making for families affected by dementia. Additionally, addressing timing and process coordination issues in family meetings is crucial for optimising their practices among families dealing with dementia.