elderly people

Rescheduled Course: Ethics in Dementia Care

The objective of the course is to foster exchanges on foundational, clinical-ethical and organisational-ethical approaches to dementia care.
The number of persons with dementia will rise considerably in the years to come. The increasing prevalence of dementia and the treatment and care for people with dementia present a myriad of important ethical questions and responsibilities. What do we think of the quality of life of people with dementia and of their subsequent end of life? What are the opinions about vulnerability and dignity in case of dementia? What do we consider to be ‘good care’ and ‘a good death’ for persons with dementia?

See for more info the leaflet here

Physical touch in caring

One morning, as I enter the closed ward for people with dementia, I come across an intensely frightened and distressed Clara. Sobbing and searching she wanders down the corridor. Almost instinctively, I take her in my arms, and she calms down.

During my studies to become a spiritual counsellor, emphasis was placed on learning conversation skills. Little attention was paid to the bodily aspects of this work, whereas, in my opinion, physical proximity in the care relationship is very important. Continue reading Physical touch in caring

Nine misunderstandings regarding ‘completed life’

In 2017, a member of the Dutch House of Representatives – Ms Pia Dijkstra – published a legislative proposal under the right of initiative. The proposed act carries the name ‘Wet toetsing levenseindebegeleiding van ouderen op verzoek’ (‘Termination of Life on Request by the Elderly [Review Procedures] Act), and is popularly referred to as the ‘completed life act’. Continue reading Nine misunderstandings regarding ‘completed life’

Elderly people, ‘completed lives’, and ‘assisted dying’

The back cover text of Els van Wijngaarden’s dissertation Ready to give up on life goes as follows. Older people who consider their lives to be ‘completed’, who suffer from the prospect of having to live on and therefore prefer a self-chosen death: it’s not a new issue. What is relatively new, though, is the current Dutch debate about whether we should legalize, facilitate and institutionalize assisted dying in such cases. Continue reading Elderly people, ‘completed lives’, and ‘assisted dying’