Leaders at Italian Alzheimer's Cafés addressing ethical issues: from advocacy response against human trafficking to Dolcezza approach with persons living with dementia.

Abstract

Objectives: This article features results of a qualitative research conducted with twenty-nine men and women responsible for Alzheimer's cafés in Italy, on the topic of ethical issues in dementia care. The goal was to identify the sources of moral distress for caregivers, exploring some bottom-up solutions that have been implemented shared with others in informal settings.

Method: During the in-depth interviews participants shared about challenges and opportunities related to dementia care and ethics, informed by the symbolic interactionist approach to the theory of social representations.

Results: The analysis of interviews resulted in identification of six main themes, each with some sub-themes: awareness, personhood, social connectedness, isolation, access, and institutional dimension.

Conclusion: The results pointed out the importance of culturally appropriate approach and advocacy for tackling ethical issues, especially in the light of morally wrong egregious abuse of persons with dementia (as related by participants), which can be classified as benefits trafficking, a form of human trafficking.