Dementia: making the case for social science research

A case study by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics on the ethics of dementia care has been published in a new booklet published by the Campaign for Social Science.‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences – Dementia‘ features a case study authored by Julian Hughes (Council member and member of the Working Party on dementia), and Kate Harvey (Senior Research Officer) which draws on the Nuffield Council’s 2009 report Dementia: ethical issues. Other case studies in the booklet - which notes that “dementia cannot be seen only through a biomedical lens” - provide further examples of how social science research and practice contribute to improvements in the care and well-being of people with dementia.

The booklet was launched at a seminar held at the House of Commons on Tuesday 15 March. The seminar featured contributions from leading researchers, senior policy-makers, and politicians including Dr Lisa Cameron MP and the Baroness Greengross OBE, as well as a keynote address by Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP, former Minister of State for Community and Social Care.

The Council’s report was published in 2009 and concluded that we need to do more as a society to enable people to live well with dementia. Amongst a number of recommendations, it called for more research into the experience of living with dementia and how people with dementia can be supported to live the best possible lives. It sets out an ethical framework to help address problems that arise in connection with dementia care, together with recommendations for policy-makers.

Links

• Find out more about the Council’s report Dementia: ethical issues.