BIOETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF MEDICAL-CARE IN THE ELDERLY

This editorial examines the challenges posed by the current epidemiolo gical transition towards ageing of societies, against the background o f medical technologies: life-saving, life-sustaining and life-enhancin g, Increased life expectancy among the elderly, compression of morbidi ty in the last year of life, cost containment in health-care delivery ald humane treatment are elements of the dilemma facing modern medicin e confronted to the aged. Technical success and medicalization of life are doomed to failure if the necessary reflection of what is proper, what is good and what is fair or just is not incorporated into everyda y practice. These bioethical dimensions should be reformulated at the level of the individual professional, the institutional environment an d the social milieu. Aside from gloomy predictions about the future, t he challenges Imposed by treatment of the elderly are seen as invigora ting stimuli for the continous improvement of medical care.