Person-Centred Care: Impact on the Effectiveness of Palliative Care in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract The increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) underscores the need for care models that preserve identity, autonomy, and comfort throughout disease progression. Person-Centred Care (PCC), which emphasizes individual biography, preferences, and relational context, is conceptually aligned with palliative care (PC); however, its impact on palliative outcomes in AD patients requires integrated synthesis. This review evaluated the effects of PCC-based interventions on the effectiveness of PC in patients with AD, focusing on clinical outcomes, health service utilization, medication use, and caregiver experience. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed and SciELO to identify observational and interventional studies assessing the integration of PCC into PC. Sixteen eligible studies with heterogeneous designs were included, and owing to methodological and outcome variability, the results were synthesized narratively. Overall, PCC integration was consistently associated with improved quality of life, reduced agitation and neuropsychiatric symptoms, decreased use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, fewer avoidable hospitalizations and emergency department visits, greater caregiver satisfaction, and improved concordance with advance care planning. Outcomes were assessed using validated clinical scales, medication utilization data, health service indicators, and caregiver-reported measures. Although the effect sizes varied and were limited by small samples sizes, short follow-up periods, and heterogeneity, the available evidence supports the systematic incorporation of PCC into PCs for patients with AD to improve patient-centered outcomes and caregiver experience.