The Human Rights and Healthcare of Older Persons with Respect to Elder Abuse and the Allocation of Scarce Resources: A Reappraisal of Human Dignity

Abstract

In considering the growing numbers of older persons in the world today and the global recognition of the healthcare needs of this segment of the population, this paper looks briefly at two aspects of care; elder abuse and the allocation of scarce resources. The paper explores how the dignity of the human person as an operating principle in both human rights law, and healthcare discourse, as well as in Catholic Social Teaching can lead health care professionals and other stakeholders to have a more holistic ethical outlook in contexts of elder care. First the meaning of the dignity of the human person is discussed in the three fields of human rights, health care and Catholic Social Teaching. Then its ethical importance in human rights, as this relates to the right to health care, is analyzed in the context of elder abuse and the allocation of scarce resources for older persons. The paper next discusses the normative stance of both national and international law with respect to elder abuse and resource allocation pinpointing some inherent dilemmas. Lastly, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) based as they are on a distinct social anthropology, are used to point the way forward for a revised ethic of care for the elderly. This paper is considered necessary on these two aspects of elder care, which, despite their global pervasiveness, insufficient reflection has been undertaken.