Ageing, Autonomy and Resources

This collection of articles, mostly by philosophers, but including two doctors and an economic historian, is intended as a contribution to applied ethics and medical ethics. The articles tackle two questions: how can the autonomy of the elderly be increased, and how can a just proportion of medical resources be secured for them? The seven articles dealing with the first question apply work in the theory of ethics on the nature and limits of autonomy to the particular case study of the elderly: there are a number of detailed conclusions about what can and should be done, and a general consensus that, while the right to die with dignity is important, even more important is the improvement of the quality of life. The seven articles dealing with resources examine the problems created by an ageing population and the arguements for discriminating against the elderly: the main conclusions is that none of these arguments are sound or convincing. Overall the book seeks to make both a theoretical and a practical contribution to this field.

Table of Contents:
The effect of ageing on autonomy, Carole Dunn; personal development in old age, John Hostler; ageing and autonomy - the case for genetic enhancement, Ruth Chadwick; practical problems with the discharge of old people from hospital - a physician's perspective, simon Winner; a mental health perspective on ageing, Joe Herzberg; ending lives - age, autonomy and the quality of life, Gavin Fairbairn; therapy abatement, david Lamb; the global distribution of health care resources, Robin Attfield; population ageing, social security, and the distribution of economic resources, Paul Johnson; "last time buyers" - markets and marketing in services for the elderly, Rod Sheaff; justifying ageism, Oliver Leaman; the felicific calculus strikes back, Alan Cribb; justice and the principle of triage, Harry Lesser; health care access, population ageing, and intergenerational justice, Clark Wolf.