Ethical concerns in caring for older women in the community.

Given the preceding discussion, what can be summarized at this point about the ethical concerns we face in the care of older women? Overall, we have presented a perspective that combines our understanding of women's health and nursing ethics. The essence of much of our concern about caring for older women is that we have views about their care that reflect our understanding of what it means to be professionals who have a social contract with our clients. We have discussed nursing ethics as a process that occurs within a social context that emphasizes working to maximize self-determination and informed choices for older women. We have emphasized autonomy and a perspective that places the nurse in an advocacy position with the patient in a relationship of partners. Arriving at reasoned positions on the ethical issues in the care of older women leads to agreement with Gloria Steinem that women may be the one group that grows more radical with age.