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Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Independence or autonomy: which is the goal?
Wynne S Korr1, John A Encandela, Donald Brieland
1School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 1207 W. Oregon St., Urbana, IL 61801, United States. wkorr@uiuc.edu
Abstract:
At times in psychiatric treatment practice in the United States, the notion of individualism or independence (an American ideal) is confused with autonomy (a rights goal). Client autonomy is defined as the ability of clients to make their own choices. When the societal ideal of independence overrides individual autonomy, inclusion and client well-being may be jeopardized. A case will be presented to illustrate these points. We make recommendations for professional education to protect client rights through understanding the distinction between autonomy and independence.
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