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- Title
Challenging Common Practice in Advanced Dementia Care.
- Authors
Howland, John S.; Gummere, Deacon Peter J.
- Abstract
The authors offer a fresh look at the debate about the use of assisted nutrition and hydration (ANH) in advanced dementia. The philosophical and ethical issues are presented. The importance of distinguishing basic care from medical acts is explained. A key question is addressed: Does ANH nourish and hydrate the patient with dementia? The ANH debate is placed in its cultural context and contrasted with the Catholic response. A clinical analysis of the evidence for benefit and harm of ANH in advanced dementia is given. The authors point out the lack of hard evidence against ANH, discuss questions that need further clinical research, and argue that there is sufficient evidence for a presumption, in principle, in favor of ANH in patients with advanced dementia.
- Subjects
DEMENTIA care units; MEDICAL care; DEMENTIA patients; NUTRITION; ALZHEIMER'S disease
- Publication
National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, 2014, Vol 14, Issue 1, p53
- ISSN
1532-5490
- Publication type
Article