Ethical aspects of dementia.

Dementia creates special ethical dilemmas and affects common ethical problems. In this article, the authors outline the clinical course of a demented patient in order to examine how different ethical issues tend to arise in different stages of dementia. The topics of accurate diagnosis, treatment planning (including advance directives), assessment of decision-making capacity, recognition of caregiver problems, and addressing end-of-life concerns are highlighted through the patient's case history. The setting of these ethical problems in the context of American society today and the special ethical issues in dementia research are also explored.