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Ethical Problems in Caring for Demented Patients

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Dementias

Abstract

Caring for patients suffering from dementia involves some of the most difficult ethical problems in adult medicine because of the nature of dementia and the way that dominant ethical principles apply to the clinical features of dementia. In this paper I first discuss the features of dementia that complicate the care of demented patients, including the nature of diagnostic and prognostic information; cognitive, communicative, and other deficits associated with the disorder; and the dependence on others that dementia induces in patients. Second, I discuss the problem posed for the ethics of caring for demented patients by the ideal of respect for patient autonomy that dominates contemporary bioethics, especially as this ideal is expressed in the rights to informed consent, self-determination, and decision-making.

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Authors
  1. G. J. Agich
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Stefano Govoni

  2. IRCCS “S. Giovanni di Dio”, “S. Cuore-Fatebenefratelli” Institute, Via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy

    Stefano Govoni

  3. Consultant Office of Research Policy and Strategy Coordination of WHO, University of Milan, Italy

    Carla Liana Bolis

  4. Geriatric Research Group, Via Romanino 1, 25122, Brescia, Italy

    Marco Trabucchi

  5. Department of Neurosciences, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy

    Marco Trabucchi

  6. Alzheimer’s Unit, IRCCS “S. Giovanni di Dio”, “S. Cuore-Fatebenefratelli” Institute, Via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy

    Marco Trabucchi

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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Italia

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Agich, G.J. (1999). Ethical Problems in Caring for Demented Patients. In: Govoni, S., Bolis, C.L., Trabucchi, M. (eds) Dementias. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2149-5_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2149-5_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0048-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2149-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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