ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Ethical dilemmas arise frequently in the course of caring for a person with dementia. Some of these issues are specific to dementia, while others are general issues in medical ethics that become more complex when a patient has dementia. We will begin with a discussion of ethical issues at the time of diagnosis, followed by a summary of issues that arise during the course of the disease, and then an overview of those that occur at the end of life. We will conclude with a discussion of selected ethical issues pertinent to dementia that operate at the societal level.
