The Erosion of Autonomy in Long-Term Care

By Lynn Fischer, Charles W. Lidz, Robert M. Arnold

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B003QGW9WW
• ISBN13: 9780195073942
• Release Date: September 1992
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.6"