title: [Dementia and ethics. From psychopharmacologic agents to living wills].
abstract: Psychotropics are to a great extent used in nursing homes to sedate and incapacitate the residents for social reasons. The very high prescription rate also reflects gerontophobic and dementophobic myths placing the old and disturbing patient beyond general accepted ethical rules. The problem is highlighted by the new Danish law concerning the uncurable ill patient. Under certain conditions it is now legal not to treat demented people for a life threatening but treatable physical illness. The boundaries between active and passive euthanasia seem more and more blurred concerning old demented patients.
authors.affiliation: Gerontopsykiatrisk afd D, Arhus Universitets Hospital, Risskov.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gulmann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006801:Humans; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
vernacular_title: Demens og etik. Fra psykofarmaka til livstestamente.