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- Title
Addressing the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Raised by Voting by Persons With Dementia.
- Authors
Karlawish, Jason H.; Bonnie, Richard J.; Appelbaum, Paul S.; Lyketsos, Constantine; James, Bryan; Knopman, David; Patusky, Christopher; Kane, Rosalie A.; Karlan, Pamela S.
- Abstract
This article addresses an emerging policy problem in the United States: participation in the electoral process by citizens with dementia. At present, health care professionals, family caregivers, and long-term care staff lack adequate guidance to decide whether individuals with dementia should be precluded from or assisted in casting a ballot. Voting by persons with dementia raises a series of important questions about the autonomy of individuals with dementia, the integrity of the electoral process, and the prevention of fraud. Three subsidiary issues warrant special attention: development of a method to assess capacity to vote; identification of appropriate kinds of assistance to enable persons with cognitive impairment to vote; and formulation of uniform and workable policies for voting in long-term care settings. In some instances, extrapolation from existing policies and research permits reasonable recommendations to guide policy and practice. However, in other instances, additional research is necessary.
- Subjects
UNITED States; DEMENTIA; POLITICAL participation; VOTING; PSYCHOSES; ELECTIONS; NEUROBEHAVIORAL disorders
- Publication
JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2004, Vol 292, Issue 11, p1345
- ISSN
0098-7484
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1001/jama.292.11.1345