59. How should we care for people living with dementia? With Matilda Carter

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I'm talking to Matilda Carter, a lecturer in Applied Ethics at IDEA The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds, about the ethics of dementia care, and asking what justice requires for people living with dementia. In her book, Relating to People Living with Dementia as Equals, Matilda argues that the way we think of and treat people living with dementia raises issues concerning power, stigma, and the structures of care. Drawing on a relational conception of justice, Matilda examines how domination and oppression can shape the lives of people with dementia, and why we should recognise their capacity to live authentically. We’ll also discuss advance directives, secure care, and what a more just system of dementia care might look like.Some further reading and other links recommended by Matilda:Self-advocacy books:Christine Bryden, Will I Still Be Me?Kate Swaffer, What the Hell Happened to My Brain?Wendy Mitchell, Somebody I Used to KnowRichard Taylor, Alzheimer’s From the Inside OutCritical Dementia Studies (an edited collection that includes some chapters by self-advocates)Organisations supporting self-advocacy work:Dementia Alliance InternationalAlzheimer’s Disease InternationalSources discussed in the interview:Ronald Dworkin, Life’s DominionIris Marion Young, Justice and the Politics of DifferenceAndrew Firlik, “Margo’s Logo”Rebecca Dresser, “Dworkin on Dementia”Agnieszka Jaworska, “Respecting the Margins of Agency”Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds.As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA.Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/