Alzheimer's Disease and the Invisible Person: The Missing Patient Voice.

Abstract

sow distrust than to facilitate good care. The ethicist, then, should help the requestor appreciate the conditions that led to Benjamin’s sad arrival in the ED. Seeing these conditions differently will help identify whom to consult. The ethicist can offer to assist, if needed, once more information is gathered. Benjamin, Trudy, and Gavon are refugees in search of help. They’re like Ukranians wandering through Poland’s forests, central Americans braving our hostile southern border, or the unnamed woman who set her infant in a small papyrus boat amongst the reeds of the Nile riverbank in hope that her infant son would be cared for, not killed, by the Pharaoh. All were suffering because they lived in systems that created difficult conditions and forced desperate choices. It is no wonder that Benjamin arrived in the ED. This case is not about Gavon or his desperate cry for help. It’s about us. This is a case about our duty to help Benjamin and his caregivers restore their home into a caring place or, perhaps, find him a new home where he can be cared for. It’s a case that calls upon our humanity, compassion, and humility to help those in need.