The Dialectics of Dementia: With Particular Reference to Alzheimer's Disease

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

E-ISSN: 1469-1779|10|2|177-196

ISSN: 0144-686x

Source: Ageing and Society, Vol.10, Iss.2, 1990-06, pp. : 177-196

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Abstract

A new theory of the dementing process in old age is presented in outline. Its main focus is on the dialectical interplay between neurological and social-psychological factors, with special emphasis on aspects of the latter which deprive a neurologically impaired individual of his or her personhood. The account of dementia so derived is more comprehensive and less deterministic than those which are based on the simpler versions of a ‘medical model’. Also, it opens up the way for a more personal and optimistic view of caregiving.