ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN DISCHARGE PLANNING FOR PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Because of an increase in the older population in the United States, h ospital social workers are faced with the task of developing discharge plans for patients with Alzheimer's disease. The nature of the diseas e creates the potential for complex situations that can complicate the discharge-planning process. This article explores the ethical dilemma s that arise in discharge planning for patients with Alzheimer's disea se and examines how the nature of these dilemmas evolves as the illnes s progresses. A clinical model is proposed to help practitioners ident ify, organize, and evaluate information relevant to discharge planning and determine an appropriate course of action.