Appreciating the Dynamicity of Values at the End of Life: A Psychological and Ethical Analysis

Austin Burns, Natalie Hardy, Nico Nortjé

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

It can be difficult for families to accept when loved ones experience a change in saliency of values due to serious illness and inevitable death. When patients lose decision-making capacity, family members often refuse to withdraw care and insist on the continuation of non-beneficial treatment. Through a joint ethical and psychological analysis, this case study examines the narrative of a husband and wife, wed for over 50 years, and how the patient's values, his life's story, and the wife's interpretation of his preferences were reconciled to achieve a resolution that respected the patient's autonomy and previously expressed wishes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)177-181
Number of pages5
JournalNarrative inquiry in bioethics
Volume12
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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