Elder self-neglect can be assessed with the Elder Self-Neglect Assessment (ESNA) and addressed by physicians’ partnering with patients to achieve common goals.

Cases of elder self-neglect require physicians to balance the patient’s wish for independence and the risks of poor self-care.

A 15-year-old advance directive made when the patient was in much better health and not updated can bring more confusion than clarity to the decision-making process.

A 15-year-old advance directive made when the patient was in much better health and not updated can bring more confusion than clarity to the decision-making process.

Long-term care facilities should assess residents for capacity to consent to sexual activity and be prepared to accommodate sexual intimacy.

Patients with dementia need social supports and opportunities and acceptance of their disability in order to feel hopeful despite their functional decline.

The Bioethics Commission’s recommendations to include research participants with impaired consent capacity provide an ethical foundation for neuroscience.

The separation of dental and medical care is a medical ethics issue because it negatively impacts vulnerable populations who lack access to dental care.