Consent for Research in Dementia: A Narrative Review

Dementia is the leading chronic disease contributing to disability and dependence among older people. There is a need for quality research to ensure an evidence-based approach to manage this global crisis. Research is also required to explore the psychosocial context and perspectives of people with dementia. Obtaining consent from people with dementia presents challenges to researchers, and may limit the participation of people with dementia in research. In this review, consent issues are discussed with an overview of approaches for those unable to give informed consent. It is hoped that applying the concepts of process consent, surrogate or proxy decision makers and advance research directives will enable and improve the participation of people with dementia in research.