Dementia and Ethics Reconsidered

“In this masterful book, Julian Hughes makes a convincing case that many acts in clinical and care practice are ethical matters. Hughes takes us gently through a jungle of philosophical ideas and explores a series of ethical issues in dementia care, such as diagnosis, covert medication and end of life care. His humanity shines through as he favours a values-based approach to care, and concludes by declaring (in the spirit of Tom Kitwood) that the person must be placed first in order to do what is right and good for people living with dementia. A must-have volume for practitioners, social scientists and enlightened general readers.”
Tom Dening, Professor of Dementia Research, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK

“This book is totally brilliant. The outstanding author Dr. Julian Hughes must now be considered the foremost ethicist of his generation when it comes to caring for individuals with dementia … This is now the book that everyone who cares about dementia and ethics must read, discuss, and implement. It is a huge contribution.”
Stephen G. Post PhD, Director, Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care & Bioethics
Stony Brook University School of Medicine, USA

“This book should be an essential read for all of us who support and navigate the ethical issues relating to people with dementia and their families.”
Paul Edwards, Director of Clinical Services, Dementia UK

Ethical issues are involved in every decision that is made in connection with someone living with dementia – from decisions about care and treatment to decisions about research and funding.

This book encourages the reader to reconsider ethics in dementia care with the use of ‘patterns of practice’, an innovative idea developed by the author. The book highlights the importance of understanding the person’s narrative, of good communication, high quality care, and expert interpretation of the meaning of situations for people living with dementia. This book:

• Reviews ethical theories and approaches in connection with dementia care
• Considers issues such as such as stigma, quality of life, personhood, and citizenship in relation to dementia
• Looks at issues relevant to research ethics
• Presents case vignettes to highlight a complete spectrum of ethical issues that arise in dementia care
• Is accessibly written...