The Dependent Elderly

by Edited by Luke Gormally

• ISBN13: 9780521061254
• ISBN10: 0521061253
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-04-24
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This thoughtful and compassionate account addresses some of the difficult ethical and medical issues raised in the provision of health care for the dependent elderly patient. Care of the dependent elderly is subject to conflicting priorities arising from the demands of patients, their relatives, the fair allocation of medical and financial resources, and the medical ethos to prolong life. A distinguished team of contributors, selected from the fields of medicine, philosophy, ethics, and law, discuss and critically evaluate these issues. This volume will provide a focus for further debate and interest in this important subject.

Table of Contents

List of contributors

Introduction Luke Gormally

Difficult choices in treating and feeding the debilitated elderly

The American debate about artificial nutrition and hydration

Reflections on

The living will: the ethical framework of a recent report

Some reflections on euthanasia in The Netherlands

Is there a policy for the elderly needing long-term care?

Is it possible to provide good quality long-term care without unfair discrimination?

The prospects for long-term care: current policy and realistic alternatives

What is required for good quality in long-term care of the elderly?

Should age make a difference in health care entitlement?

Economic devices and ethical pitfalls: quality of life, the distribution of resources and the needs of the elderly

The aged: non-persons, human dignity and justice

Economics, justice and the value of life: concluding remarks

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.