Dementia and Aging

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

" 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

• ForewordPrefaceList of ContributorsChapter 1. The Challenges of DementiaPart I: Biomedical, Experiential, and Caregiving PerspectivesChapter 2. Dementia: The Medical PerspectiveChapter 3. The Experience of Being DementedChapter 4. Seeing and Knowing Dementia Chapter 5. Human Dignity, Dementia, and the Moral Basis of CaregivingPart II: Treatment Decisions, Advance Directives, and EuthanasiaChapter 6. Autonomy Revisited: The Limits of Anticipatory ChoicesChapter 7. A Critical View of Ethical Dilemmas in DementiaChapter 8. Mercy Killing of Elderly People with Dementia: A CounterproposalChapter 9. Euthanasia in Alzheimer's Disease?Part III: Caring For People With Dementia: Justice and Public PolicyChapter 10. Dementia and Appropriate Care: Allocating Scarce ResourcesChapter 11. The Politics of Developing Appropriate Care for Dementia Chapter 12. Alzheimer's Disease: Current Policy InitiativesIndex