Main description:

Dementia is a topic of enormous human, medical, economic, legal and ethical importance. Its importance grows as more of us live longer. The legal and ethical problems it raises are complex, intertwined and under-discussed. This book brings together contributions from clinicians, lawyers and ethicists - all of them world leaders in the field of dementia - and is a comprehensive, scholarly yet accessible library of all the main (and many of the fringe) perspectives. It begins with the medical facts: what is dementia? Who gets it? What are the current and future therapeutic and palliative options? What are the main challenges for medical and nursing care? The story is then taken up by the ethicists, who grapple with questions such as: is it legitimate to lie to dementia patients if that is a kind thing to do? Who is the person whose memory, preferences and personality have all been transformed by their disease? Should any constraints be placed on the sexual activity of patients? Are GPS tracking devices an unpardonable interference with the patient's freedom? These issues, and many more, are then examined through legal lenses.
The book closes with accounts from dementia sufferers and their carers. It is the first and only book of its kind, and the authoritative text.

Contents:

PART I: MEDICAL FUNDAMENTALS 1. What is Dementia? Elissa L Ash 2. The Demographics of Dementia Israel (Issi) Doron 3. The Genetics of Dementia Sophie Behrman, Klaus P Ebmeier and Charlotte L Allan 4. Can Dementia be Prevented? Amos D Korczyn and Veronika Vakhapova 5. Clinical Management of Dementia: An Overview (1) Noa Bregman and Orna Moore 6. Clinical Management of Dementia: An Overview (2) Chris Fox, Carolyn Chew-Graham, Emma Wolverson, Ian Maidment and Andrea Hilton 7. Best Interests Determination: A Medical Perspective Hugh Series 8. Advance Decisions and Proxy Decision-Making in the Elderly: A Medical Perspective Gary Sinoff and Natalia Blaja-Lisnic 9. The Happy Dementia Patient Hugh Series 10. Dementia: A Perspective from Primary Care Daniel Lasserson PART II: ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES 11. Dementia: An Ethical Overview Michael Dunn 12. Best Interests Determinations and Substituted Judgement: Personhood and Precedent Autonomy Andrew McGee 13. Proxy Decision-Making Jose Miola 14. Telling the Truth: The Ethics of Deception and White Lies in Dementia Care Maartje Schermer 15. Research on Patients with Dementia Adrian Treloar and Claudia Dunlop 16. Genetics and Dementia: Ethical Concerns Caroline J Huang, Michael Parker and Matthew L Baum 17. Common Perceptions of Dementia Perla Werner 18. Ethical Perspectives on End-of-Life Care: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the Refusal of or Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatments in those Living with Dementia Michael Gordon 19. Resource Allocation Issues in Dementia Leah Rand and Mark Sheehan 20. Sexuality in Dementia Julian C Hughes, Aileen Beatty and Jeanette Shippen 21. The Use of New Technologies in Managing Dementia Patients Julian C Hughes 22. Abuse, Safeguarding and Dementia Bridget Penhale PART III: LEGAL PERSPECTIVES 23. A Legal Overview Mary Donnelly 24. Assessing Capacity Lesley King and Hugh Series 25. Best Interests and Dementia Jonathan Herring 26. Proxy Decision-Making: A Legal Perspective Winsor C Schmidt 27. Being and Being Lost: Personal Identity and Dementia Jesse Wall 28. Dementia, Autonomy and Guardianship for the Old Margaret Isabel Hall 29. Restriction of Liberty Michael Schindler and Yael Waksman 30. Research on Patients with Dementia Phil Bielby 31. Dementia and Carers: Relationality and Informal Carers' Experiences Rosie Harding 32. End-of-Life Care Ofra G Golan 33. Health Care Resource Allocation Issues in Dementia Keith Syrett 34. The Use of New Technologies in the Management of Dementia Patients Karen Eltis PART IV: SOCIAL ASPECTS OF DEMENTIA 35. Discrimination Doug Surtees 36. Physical, Financial and other Abuse Ruijia Chen, E-Shien Chang, Melissa Simon and XinQi Dong 37. Driving and Dementia Desmond O'Neill 38. Voting and Political Participation Nina A Kohn PART V: PATIENT AND CARER PERSPECTIVES 39. This is My Life Peter JS Ashley 40. Dad's Dementia Andrew Billen 41. Lewy Body Disease: A Carer's Perspective Sue Berkeley and Rob Berkeley 42. Our Journey Shirley Nurock 43. The Power of Imagination Peter Richards 44. Dementia Care: Workpoints U Hla Htay