Promotional Information

As we progress toward the twentieth century, we do so knowing that the growing elderly population will pose new challenges and obstacles for aging-related professions. Dementia and Aging provides experts within the medical, social, and legal professions, as well as caregivers, with thought-provoking and useful information. -- Edward F. Truschke, President, Alzheimer's Association

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
List of Contributors
Chapter 1. The Challenges of Dementia
Part I: Biomedical, Experiential, and Caregiving Perspectives
Chapter 2. Dementia: The Medical Perspective
Chapter 3. The Experience of Being Demented
Chapter 4. Seeing and Knowing Dementia
Chapter 5. Human Dignity, Dementia, and the Moral Basis of Caregiving
Part II: Treatment Decisions, Advance Directives, and Euthanasia
Chapter 6. Autonomy Revisited: The Limits of Anticipatory Choices
Chapter 7. A Critical View of Ethical Dilemmas in Dementia
Chapter 8. Mercy Killing of Elderly People with Dementia: A Counterproposal
Chapter 9. Euthanasia in Alzheimer's Disease?
Part III: Caring For People With Dementia: Justice and Public Policy
Chapter 10. Dementia and Appropriate Care: Allocating Scarce Resources
Chapter 11. The Politics of Developing Appropriate Care for Dementia
Chapter 12. Alzheimer's Disease: Current Policy Initiatives
Index

About the Author

Stephen G. Post is professor at the Center for Biomedical Ethics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University.

Reviews

Dementia and Aging will become a standard introduction to what Lewis Thomas called 'the disease of the century'... Gerontologists will benefit from reading [this] collection [dealing] with a multifaceted problem from diverse perspectives. Gerontologist The diversity of thought and opinions represented in this book is its major strength. the contributing authors are..acknowledged experts in their respective fields; the chapters are well written and edited. Each section provides insights into an important aspect of Alzheimer disease. Opposing views on euthanasia and alternative proposals for health care reform are fairly presented. the reader is left with a better understanding of the complex and evolving nature of decision-making required in the care of patients with Alzheimer disease. Annals of Internal Medicine