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Ethical Issues
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The most common legal and ethical issues involve the assessment of an individual client's decisional capacity and level of cognitive competence, identification of surrogate decision makers, disclosure of diagnosis and related information, decisions about long-term care, and preparing and executing advance directives while respecting preferences for end of life care. Although the approach to resolution of these issues is similar for all age groups, the physiologic, psychologic, and social reserves of the elderly place them at greater risk of adverse outcomes. The fact that the elderly often lack the support of family and friends makes them especially vulnerable to the automatic and sometimes unthoughtful process of the health care system. Health Care workers should assess each elderly patient individually and delineate treatment options accordingly. They must also advocate for their patients' ethical interests and legal rights, especially in the medical context, about which patients are often ill-informed or misled. No matter who decides, a system needs to exist for communicating, recording, and reviewing the decisions communicated between physician and patient. Medical staff and Physicians should periodically review their experience with Advanced Directives, revise their policies as appropriate, and understand their role in the Patient-Family-Medical Staff decision-making process. For more information: http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/care/ethics-intro.htm
More Details about Ethical Issues The following information is presented courtesy of: http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mm_geriatrics/sec1/ch14.jsp The most common legal and ethical issues involve:
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Last Modified: July 2004
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A diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease or a related dementia presents a number of difficult legal and ethical issues for people with the disease, their families, and care providers.