ETHICS AND AGING: FOCUS ON LIVING WILL FOR PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA

Abstract

Today dementia certainly represents a public health priority with a huge global impact on wordwide population. However, clinical and social issues related to demen-tia have long been marginalized. The actual high prevalence of dementias requires also to face issues from a bioethical perspective, regarding how to deal with demented patient’s disposition. There are currently no specific guide-lines on the national territory regarding whether to draw up a living will by a patient with dementia, neither about the informa-tive role of physicians during the progres-sive story of the disease.