Autonomy of the elderly patient in the context of medical health care and its relational aspect

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the autonomy of elderly patients in the context of medical health care from a relational perspective. Although national and international laws establish the need to stimulate and respect the autonomy of the elderly, few achievements are seen in this area, especially in the field of medical relations. From the conceptual study of autonomy under different lines of thought, namely, the traditional biomedical autonomy, autonomy seen from a sociological perspective and the relational autonomy defended by human rights, we sought to reflect on the situation of elderly patients, doubly vulnerable due to age and illness, and whose autonomy is not generally appreciated by health professionals and family members. The conclusion was that the most appropriate theoretical framework to characterize elderly patients' autonomy is relational autonomy, because only from the recognition of their special vulnerability and taking into account their values, culture, relationships and social context it is possible to understand them as a whole, to integrate them to the care process and motivate them to participate in the treatment. Human rights of patients endorse relational autonomy and acknowledge that to ensure the rights of elderly patients it is necessary to establish a network of social protection through public policies that make them visible to all, preserve their dignity, as well as motivate them to exercise their autonomy by making decisions that involve their health.