Ethical Issues in Dementia Care: Making difficult decisions

  Ethical Issues in Dementia Care: Making difficult decisions
  Julian C Hughes and Clive Baldwin,
  Jessica Kingsley Publishers
  ISBN: 1843103755,
  £14.99

  STAR RATING: 3/5

“Morals are messy ethics is everywhere.” So begins one of the latest good practice guides coming out of the Bradford Dementia Group, writes Les Bright.

The number of people with some form of dementia – presently about 700,000 – is continuing to grow, and those engaged in care work now and in the future are faced with some enduring problems. They need to be equipped with a broad range of knowledge to inform their practice to ensure that those they look after can experience a good quality of life.

It is claimed that titles in this series are accessible, jargon-free and evidence-based, and are suitable for all those involved in caring for people with dementia and their families. Those ­ambitions hold up well. I found the case examples picked up on the ­everyday challenges for carers, such as how to keep someone safe without placing unreasonable restrictions on their daily life.

Although this is not a “how to” handbook, readers will find in it ways of thinking about how to conduct themselves so as to respect individuals for whom they have a caring responsibility.

I like the way in which the authors have blended together personal accounts of routine situations and dilemmas faced by spouses, with reflections on decision-making processes and the ways in which these shape future thinking and practice.

Les Bright is an independent consultant