Ethics in dementia care. Summer course

Date: 07/05/2022 to 07/08/2022

Location:
Park Inn by Radisson Leuven Hotel
Martelarenlaan 36
3010 Leuven
Belgium

Further information: https://www.kuleuven.be/english/summer-schools/ethics-in-dem...

Description: 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?

The objective of the course is to foster exchanges on foundational, clinical-ethical and organisational-ethical approaches to dementia care. More specifically, the aims of this course are:

(1) To analyse fundamental notions that occupy central stage in the field of dementia care ethics (i.e. various notions of care, the human person, vulnerability, and dignity). As such, extensive understanding will be provided into the philosophical and ethical foundations of dementia care practices.

(2) To educate participants on a range of ethical topics that figure largely in contemporary debates on dementia care, namely, use of electronic tracking devices, use of robotics, dealing with sexual expression, advance care planning, euthanasia and other end-of-life issues. These topics will be explored from philosophical-ethical and empirical-ethical perspectives.

(3) To introduce participants into a variety of stakeholders' perspectives on ethics in dementia care: patients, relatives, nurses, physicians, institutional managers, and society as a whole.

(4) To establish exchange among national and international experts with respect to ethics in dementia care.

Format This course starts from an interdisciplinary perspective (incorporating philosophy, theology, medicine, social sciences, nursing, as well as normative and empirical ethics). During the course, national and international experts will give presentations on various ethical topics in the domain of dementia care. Time will be provided for intensive discussion and interaction. The language of instruction will be English.

Contact:
Chris Gastmans, PhD
Phone: +32 16 37 33 03
dementiacare@kuleuven.be

Organizer: Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven

Keywords: disease; medical ethics; nursing ethics