The Erosion of Autonomy in Long-Term Care (Google eBook)

Charles W. Lidz Professor of Psychiatry and Sociology, Lynn Fischer Project Director in Smoking Research in the Department of Clinical Psychology, Robert M. Arnold Assistant Professor of Medicine all at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Oxford University Press, Sep 11, 1992 - Medical - 216 pages

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 a detailed description of the organizational patterns that erode autonomy of the elderly. Their observations lead to a substantial rethinking of what the concept of autonomy means in these settings. The book concludes with concrete suggestions on methods to increase the autonomy of elderly individuals in long-term care institutions.

Contents

• The Meaning of Autonomy in LongTerm Care: 3
• How Did We Get Here? A Brief History: 22
• The Research Setting and Strategies: 40
• The Value Basis of LongTerm Care: 57
• Role Relationships: 69
• Restrictions: 87
• The Routine of Daily Life: 112
• Access to Space and Property: 141
• Physical Redirection and Restraint: 155
• Summary and Implications for LongTerm Care: 168
• References: 183

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Erosion of Autonomy in Long-Term Care
• Authors: Charles W. Lidz Professor of Psychiatry and Sociology, Lynn Fischer Project Director in Smoking Research in the Department of Clinical Psychology, Robert M. Arnold Assistant Professor of Medicine all at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1992
• ISBN: 019974873X, 9780199748730
• Length: 216 pages
• Subjects: Medical / Ethics