Dignity in Care for Older People

Lennart Nordenfelt is Professor of Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care at the University of Linkoping, Sweden

Preface. Contributors. An Outline of the Book. Preamble: the Case of David and Rebecca. Part I Theoretical and Conceptual Considerations. 1. Health, Autonomy and Quality of Life: Some Basic Concepts in the Theory of Health Care and the Care of Older People ( Lennart Nordenfelt ). Introduction. 1.1 Health. 1.2 Quality of life. 1.3 Autonomy. 1.4 Integrity. 1.5 Final remarks on the basic values. References. 2. The Concept of Dignity ( Lennart Nordenfelt ). Introduction. 2.1 The definition of dignity. 2.2 Dignity: towards an analysis. 2.3 Relationships between the notions of dignity. 2.4 Further explorations on dignity. A commentary on some other authors. 2.5 Dignity and older people. References. 3. Being Body: The Dignity of Human Embodiment ( Jennifer Bullington ). Introduction. 3.1 The objective body and the lived body. 3.2 The dignity of the human body. 3.3 Implications for health care. References. Part II Dignity and Older People: Some Empirical Findings. 4. Dignity and Dementia: An Analysis of Dignity of Identity and Dignity Work in a Small Residential Home ( Magnus Ohlander ). Introduction. 4.1 Living together in a residential home. 4.2 The homelike nature of the residential home. 4.3 Activities and routines. 4.4 Identity. 4.5 Home, sweet home. 4.6 Dignity, normality and culture. 4.7 Summary and concluding remarks on dignity work, normality and power. References. 5. Dignity and Older Spouses with Dementia ( Ingrid Hellstrom ). Introduction. 5.1 Dignity in spousal relationships. 5.2 Conclusions. Acknowledgements. References. 6. Caring for Older People: Why Dignity Matters - the European Experience ( Win Tadd and Michael Calnan ). Introduction. 6.1 The Dignity and Older Europeans study. 6.2 Findings. 6.3 Discussion. 6.4 Conclusion. Acknowledgements. References. 7. A Dignified Death and Identity-Promoting Care ( Britt-Marie Ternestedt ). Introduction. 7.1 A dignified or good death. 7.2 Being allowed to be the person one is and to decide for oneself. 7.3 Death as a religious, medical and private event. 7.4 Extended identity close to death. 7.5 Threats to identity close to death. 7.6 Identity-promoting care. 7.7 Conclusion and reflections. References. 8. Dignity and the Dead ( Goran Lantz ). Introduction. 8.1 The view of the dead person. 8.2 The dead as persons. 8.3 Change and continuity. 8.4 The necessary psychological change. 8.5 Brain death as a special category. 8.6 Fear of the dead person. 8.7 The rights of the dead. 8.8 Who owns the dead? 8.9 Religious aspects. 8.10 The dignity of the dead. References. 9. Dignity as an Object of Empirical Study: Experiences from Two Research Programmes ( Lennart Nordenfelt ). 9.1 General considerations. 9.2 Basic ethical concepts: a comparison between the DOE project and the Home project. 9.3 Salient aspects of the care of seriously ill older people in the Swedish context. 9.4 Conclusions. References. Index.