ABSTRACT
The expected dramatic growth in the number of elderly persons worldwide and the concomitant growth in the number of persons with Alzheimer’s disease will be accompanied by important philosophical and ethical questions, such as competence issues. The aim of this chapter is to examine the existing literature in the area of competence and cognitive deterioration with the objectives of: a) obtaining and evaluating the relevant literature theoretically and methodologically; and b) summarizing current research findings and identifying ethical issues in this area to be considered in the future.
