Medical ethics and everyday ethics in dementia reflections and considerations for clinical practice

Authors

  • Andrea Slachevsky Médica-Neuróloga, Coordinadora Centro de Memoria y Neuropsiquiatría (CMYN), PhD. Afiliaciones: 1: Centro Gerociencias, Salud Mental y Metabolismo (GERO), Santiago, Chile; 2: Laboratorio de Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Clínicas (LANNEC) Programa de Fisiopatología - ICBM, Departamento de Ciencias Neurológicas Oriente y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile; 3: Centro de Memoria y Neuropsiquiatría (CMYN), Servicio de Neurología, Hospital del Salvador y Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile; 4:Departamento de Neurología y Psiquiatría, Clínica Alemana - Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
  • Timothy Daly Bioeticista, Investigador posdoc, PhD. Afiliaciones: 1: UMR 1219, Bordeaux Population Health, University of Bordeaux & INSERM, Bordeaux, Francia; 2: Programa de Bioética, FLACSO Argentina, Tucumán 1966, C1050 AAN, Buenos Aires, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1650-242X
  • Javier Moreno Médico, Residente Neurología y de Doctorado, MD. Afiliaciones: 1: Departamento de Neurociencias Oriente, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile; 2; Servicio de Neurología, Hospital del Salvador, Santiago, Chile; 3; Laboratorio de Neurología y Neurología Traslacional, NODO Lab, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile.
  • Rodrigo Salinas Médico-Neurólogo. Secretario del Comité de Ética Asistencial del Hospital del Salvador, Msc. Afiliaciones: 1: Departamento de Neurociencias Oriente, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile; 2; Servicio de Neurología, Hospital del Salvador, Santiago, Chile.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56116/cms.v65.n3.2025.2214

Keywords:

Alzheimer, ethics, medical, informed consent, bioethics

Abstract

Dementias are responsible for a significant proportion of the population's disease burden. The characteristic cognitive decline poses ethical challenges in their care that must be addressed prudently. The most relevant effect is the progressive loss of autonomy, raising questions about how best to proceed, from the moment of communicating the diagnosis to obtaining informed consent for therapy, while balancing respect for their dignity and the beneficence sought. This article discusses the ethical dilemmas affecting people with dementia's daily lives and civic participation.

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References

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Published

2025-10-08

How to Cite

Slachevsky, A., Daly, T., Moreno, J. ., & Salinas, R. (2025). Medical ethics and everyday ethics in dementia reflections and considerations for clinical practice. Cuadernos Médico Sociales, 65(3), 67–75. https://doi.org/10.56116/cms.v65.n3.2025.2214