TY - JOUR
T1 - 'Choice is a small word with a huge meaning'
T2 - Autonomy and decision making at the end of life
AU - Sutton, Eileen
AU - Coast, J.
PY - 2012/4/1
Y1 - 2012/4/1
N2 - The United Kingdom (UK) End-of-Life Care Strategy, published in June 2008, recommends the identification, documentation and review of people's preferences for care and highlights the importance of choice at an individual level. Drawing on data from a qualitative research study, this article reflects on the complex range of interconnected factors impacting on older people's preferences and decision-making processes at the end of life. As older people consider not only themselves but also the impact on loved ones when making decisions, the pertinence of a relational conceptualisation of autonomy is considered. The impact of structural issues on the realisation of preferences is also explored.
AB - The United Kingdom (UK) End-of-Life Care Strategy, published in June 2008, recommends the identification, documentation and review of people's preferences for care and highlights the importance of choice at an individual level. Drawing on data from a qualitative research study, this article reflects on the complex range of interconnected factors impacting on older people's preferences and decision-making processes at the end of life. As older people consider not only themselves but also the impact on loved ones when making decisions, the pertinence of a relational conceptualisation of autonomy is considered. The impact of structural issues on the realisation of preferences is also explored.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84865145652&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1332/147084411X581916
DO - 10.1332/147084411X581916
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84865145652
SN - 0305-5736
VL - 40
SP - 211
EP - 226
JO - Policy and politics
JF - Policy and politics
IS - 2
ER -