How do you determine whether to continue anti-dementia medications (such as cholinesterase inhibitors) for patients with dementia when enrolling in hospice?

In most cases, recommending discontinuation of anti-dementia medications when someone is eligible to enroll in hospice due to end-stage dementia is reasonable. Symptomatic benefit is less likely to be noticeable or meaningful at this stage (and benefit is small to modest even at earlier stages). Abi...

Roughly half of hospice enrollees with advanced dementia continue cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine upon enrollment in hospice [1]. Despite this, guidelines generally recommend discontinuing these medications for individuals with end-stage dementia as the risks start to outweigh the minimal...

Some family members and caregivers have a strong emotional attachment to these medications; it is best to discuss this with them when the time is right, rather than take a dogmatic approach to these medications.