TY  - JOUR
T1  - ADdressing the ethical, legal, and social issues raised by voting by persons with dementia
AU  - Karlawish JH, Bonnie RJ, Appelbaum PS, et al
Y1  - 2004/09/15
N1  - 10.1001/jama.292.11.1345
JO  - JAMA
SP  - 1345
EP  - 1350
VL  - 292
IS  - 11
N2  - This article addresses an emerging policy problem in the United States
participation in the electoral process by citizens with dementia. At present,
health care professionals, family caregivers, and long-term care staff lack
adequate guidance to decide whether individuals with dementia should be precluded
from or assisted in casting a ballot. Voting by persons with dementia raises
a series of important questions about the autonomy of individuals with dementia,
the integrity of the electoral process, and the prevention of fraud. Three
subsidiary issues warrant special attention: development of a method to assess
capacity to vote; identification of appropriate kinds of assistance to enable
persons with cognitive impairment to vote; and formulation of uniform and
workable policies for voting in long-term care settings. In some instances,
extrapolation from existing policies and research permits reasonable recommendations
to guide policy and practice. However, in other instances, additional research
is necessary.
SN  - 0098-7484
M3  - doi: 10.1001/jama.292.11.1345
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.292.11.1345
ER  -