This is a difficult question to answer, as I can apply it to my recent experience of being the caretaker for my dying mother in law. It took us quite awhile to catch on to the fact that she was no longer able to make rational decisions and was indeed insisting on self destructive decisions. For instance, although she no longer had the manual dexterity to apply make up or use hot rollers or curling irons, she insisted on having it all and would sneak them into the house and inevitably burn herself, ruin furniture or fabric etc., She also had an anxiety driven need to move from wherever she was. She really wanted to be back in her own home, but knew she could not care for herself there or afford a care taker living with her. But she hated being wherever she was and would constantly call people that she knew to enlist them in her latest plot to move somewhere else. Of course, she really didn't have the manual dexterity to dial a phone so two out of three calls were a wrong number. This was a problem in the middle of the night when she would wake folks up in her need to call around.
In spite of these problems, she seemed somewhat rational in conversation and really put on a good show of having it all together, so that it was hard for us to do what was necessary to protect and care for her. At what point do you say to an adult - "I'm sorry, I know better than you do what is good for you?" Whether the issue is dementia, a low IQ, or any other condition that reduces problem solving and cognitive abilities, there is that fuzzy line where decisions must be made by a care giver for the good of the patient. In the US, it is a complicated and lengthy process to obtain guardianship, requiring more than one medical opinion and several court appearances. On Sep 4, 6:33 am, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > Yesterday I said that that the right to be is the paramout right. > This article is interesting in that it seeks to curtail such a right > for this woman on the grounds of her low IQ. > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8222689.stm > > I think that perhaps she may not be fully aware of the conseqences of > her decision, but does that mean that she should not be able to make > it? > > How much can a duty of care, inpingh up the right to be, or do you > think that such a right simply does not exist? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
