Nursing dementing elderly people: ethical issues

It has been estimated that up to 40% of people with moderate to severe dementia live in residential homes or long-stay hospital wards. This paper examines some of the ethical issues that arise in nursing people suffering from dementia within an institutional setting. The paper focuses first on the nursing profession and the recently published Strategy for Nursing. The fundamental patient/client values within the strategy recognize the uniqueness of the individual and the importance of providing nursing care which is tailored to meet individual needs. The next part of the paper will examine the difficulties associated with individualizing care for people suffering from dementia and highlight some of the ethical issues involved in looking after them. Finally, some of the general professional issues involved are examined and some tentative suggestions are put forward as to how some of the identified problems might be tackled.