Diagnosis of dementia in the early stage is becoming common and can give families the time they need together to adjust and plan for the future. However, early diagnosis does not always result in early care planning. The purpose of this manuscript dissertation was to examine two aspects of dementia care planning–the decision-making involvement and care values of the person with dementia (PWD)–particularly within the context of an acute care hospitalization and from the perspectives of the PWD and family caregiver.