Caring Ethics of Long-term Care for the Elderly / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

With the continuous increase of the elderly in China, the proportion of elderly with disabilities and dementia remains high. Long-term care, as a care system for elderly with disabilities and dementia, has some problems that misunderstanding of the concept of long-term care, the de-emotionalization of care behaviour, and the impact on family ethics. The care ethics grounds the universal caring experience, and provides an ethical norm with relationship as a pivot and emotion as a connection. Its characteristics of emphasis on contextual, relational and emotional have constructive implications for improving long-term care system. To realize care, it is significant to clarify the concept and improve the system in the ethical context, focus on both sides of the relationship based on demand, let care practice infiltrate into life through turning emotion into action, and build a long-term care system with a temperature to improve the overall quality of life of the elderly.