Everyday ethical problems in dementia care: a teleological model.

• In this article, a teleological model for analysis of everyday ethical situations in dementia care is used to analyse and clarify perennial ethical problems in nursing home care for persons with dementia. This is done with the aim of describing how such a model could be useful in a concrete care context. The model was developed by Sandman and is based on four aspects: the goal; ethical side-constraints to what can be done to realize such a goal; structural constraints; and nurses’ ethical competency. The model contains the following main steps: identifying and describing the normative situation; identifying and describing the different possible alternatives; assessing and evaluating the different alternatives; and deciding on, implementing and evaluating the chosen alternative. Three ethically difficult situations from dementia care were used for the application of the model. The model proved useful for the analysis of nurses’ everyday ethical dilemmas and will be further explored to evaluate how well it can serve as a tool to identify and handle problems that arise in nursing care.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Patient-Centered Care: ethics

Principle-Based Ethics

Problem Solving: ethics

Quality of Life: psychology

Aged: psychology

Attitude of Health Personnel

Clinical Competence: standards

Conflict (Psychology)

Decision Making: ethics

Decision Support Techniques

Nursing

Nursing Assessment: ethics

Nursing Evaluation Research

Nursing Homes: ethics

Nursing Staff:education

Nursing Staff: ethics

Nursing Staff: psychology

Patient Advocacy: ethics

Patient Advocacy: psychology

Dementia: nursing

Dementia: psychology

Ethical Analysis: methods

Ethical Theory

Geriatric Nursing: ethics

Geriatric Nursing: organization & administration

Goals

Humans

Models

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)