Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease: reflections on the loss of autonomy and the challenges of care

Abstract

This paper fosters a reflection on the loss of autonomy and the ensuing total dependence on the Other in the challenging care-provision interaction with the individual affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Since its inception, Bioethics instigates reflections on complex and intriguing issues stemmed from techno-science advancements. In health-related areas, demography and epidemiology indicate a growing increase of older persons, due to accelerated bio-technological developments and better living conditions. There are evidences, however, that aging makes the body prone to the development of diseases, and more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. In this scenario, one should ponder on the possibilities of an ethical care aiming to reconstruct the autonomy of the older person that was lost in the tangles of Alzheimer’s disease. The lack of responses challenges Geriatrics and Gerontology to seek guidance from the referentials of Bioethics.