Philosophy Society Pam Laidman Choosing Self-Neglect Thursday, 20 March 6.30pm Pavilion Parade Biography New to philosophy, Pam has an academic background in Human Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Education and History. This of course qualifies her for absolutely nothing except to be nearly 2 years into a part time PhD in applied ethics. It also explains her continued interest in human beings of all ages and abilities as individuals and her tendency to be an old fashioned luddite. Recently retired, she has for the past 45 years worked freelance in research, training and community development for a range of local, national and international bodies (statutory and voluntary) on a variety of health, social care and environmental issues. Her PhD will centre around issues of choice, bureaucracy and professional responses in relation to aging individuals, with specific reference to self-neglect. Abstract Self-neglect - we all do it at some time - drink and eat too much, lie in bed all Sunday morning, put off the cleaning, washing and other domestic chores. We get away with it and our lives carry on as usual. We survive with our health and well-being intact and, apart from the occasional cryptic comment, it goes largely unnoticed. We can be un-virtuous without being unduly criticised. So why do some individuals (especially older people) become identified as self-neglecting by health and social care practitioners? Why do they become labelled as ignorant or incompetent or lacking in capacity for doing the same as we all do? What is so special about their self-neglect that it moves practitioners to implement their Duty of Care in response? And, if we are free to choose how to live our own lives, should it? This paper will introduce some key aspects of self-neglect and ask can we choose self-neglect? Any answers provided by those attending will be very welcome.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:29:54 +0000