Background Advance care planning (ACP) is a particularly important issue within dementia care because many people lose the capacity to make their own decisions during their dementia journey.

Aim This project, funded by the Dementia Consumer Research Network within Alzheimer's Australia, aims to improve the promotion and uptake of advance care planning for people with dementia in primary and community care.

Methods The project involves a nationally-focused website, promoted through a broadly based social marketing campaign. Needs assessment involved extensive consultations with both consumers affected by dementia and professionals across Australia as well as an online survey with 249 respondents.

Results Key aspects of the website are: it moves beyond providing information to include a number of consumer-focused templates that help users take action related to planning ahead; it provides information for people living with dementia and their family carers, healthcare professionals and the general community; and it has information and resources relevant for all States and Territories.

Discussion While the website caters to people with early dementia and family carers, it also targets people in the general community who do not have dementia, as ACP is most helpful if done before a person starts to lose capacity through dementia. The project will enlist a number of State and National organisations as campaign supporters to promote a set of core messages about ACP and the website.

Conclusion Dementia can have a devastating impact on individuals and families, and this new programme to promote ACP will help to reduce that impact.