The Erosion of Autonomy in Long-term Care

Download or read book The Erosion of Autonomy in Long-term Care written by Charles W. Lidz and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1992 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In few places in American society are adults so dependent on others as in nursing homes. Minimizing this dependency and promoting autonomy has become a major focus of policy and ethics in gerontology. Yet most of these discussions are divorced from the day-to-day reality of long-term care and are implicitly based on concepts of autonomy derived from acute medical care settings. Promoting autonomy in long-term care, however, is a complex task which requires close attention to everyday routines and a fundamental rethinking of the meaning of autonomy. This timely work is based on an observational study of two different types of settings which provide long-term care for the elderly. The authors offer detailed descriptions of the organizational patterns and routine practices that erode autonomy of the elderly. Their observations lead to a substantial rethinking of what the concept of autonomy means in long-term care. The book concludes with suggestions on how the autonomy of elderly individuals in long-term care institutions might be promoted.