Here’s an interesting story from The Telegraph: Psychiatrists and nurses admit lying to dementia patients.
Truth-telling is one of the ethical pillars of modern healthcare. Telling patients the truth is generally seen as a key part of treating them with respect. Lying to them is a form of manipulation that is usually incompatible with respecting patient autonomy.
Are patients with demential an exception? Certainly it’s hard to make a case for a blanket exception, given the enormous variation in cognitive capacities and emotional states that can fall under the general heading of “dementia.” It may well be that there are a limited number of particular circumstances with particular patients in which lying is justified. But nurses should never be complacent or come to think that lying is part of standard care.
The Nursing Ethics Blog 
I am saddened by this article about some nurses lying to patients with dementia. I work with patients who are confused due to traumatic and non traumatic brain injury. Some of these patients suffer short term memory loss leading them to ask the same questions repeatedly. Where I work, we nurses, respond appropriately, by answering any questions truthfully. Lying is just not acceptable and unethical. Good communication between nurses is key to providing consistent answers to confused patients. I believe that some care facilities could use some ethical education.
I am not sure as to why healthcare practitioners feel that it is okay to lie to a dementia patient. As a nursing instructor I have seen front line staff do this, my students face a dilemma whether they continue with the same pattern. I encourage my students to be honest with the patient,& reorientate the patient to setting. I do not feel that there is ever an situation or circumstance that makes it okay to lie, how is that avoiding harm for the patient or family. An understanding of the disease process is maybe not clear and that further education is warranted.
It all comes to each person values in respect to why they would tell a lie to a patient, but across the board it is ethically wrong to do so. as healthcare providers working with patients with brain injury or damage and have memory loss, it is important that we look beyond how the patient is acting and look at them from a holistic approach. they do deserve the truth regardless of whatever circumstances they are in. I do feel guilty that i have been in situations in which my staff have lied to patients and I am guilty in that i did not do anything so it makes me liable as well as a supervisor. This enlightens me to reflect on my own actions as well.