The Ethics Committee of the Ferrol Health Area organized a forum on bioethics, focusing on aging as a shared project, addressing the ethics of care and collective responsibility. The event took place last Friday in the auditorium of the Naval Hospital of the University Hospital Complex of Ferrol, bringing together over a hundred attendees to "collectively rethink the challenges of aging from the ethics of care".
Organizers highlighted that demographic aging is one of the main social, health, and ethical challenges of this century, requiring "a rethinking of our conceptions of aging, dependency, and care." Traditionally, bioethics focused on the principlist paradigm, but this approach has limitations for caring for vulnerable and dependent individuals, where interpersonal relationships and interdependence are crucial.
The forum proposed the ethics of care as an alternative framework, centering on the relational dimension of human beings, interdependence, and care as a fundamental moral practice. This approach is pertinent for addressing issues such as recognizing vulnerability and promoting relational autonomy, as well as the quality of care relationships, viewing them as a collective responsibility.
Specific issues were also addressed, such as ageism (age discrimination), unwanted loneliness, particularly affecting older women, and the need for alternative care models that respect the dignity and preferences of older adults.
The forum aimed to be a space for interdisciplinary reflection for healthcare professionals, social services, ethics, philosophy, caregiver families, and older adults themselves. It included an inaugural lecture, expert presentations on ethics, autonomy, and ageism, debates, a round table, and dynamic participation.
Speakers emphasized the importance of "looking into the eyes of patients," the "grammar and language in human interaction," and recalled that "older people are specialists in life." They also referred to patient autonomy, "vulnerable listening," and equity in care, stressing that chronological age should not dictate care and that aging is not an illness.
Finally, it was noted that perceptions of aging are based on individual perspectives, and a change in this viewpoint was encouraged. The importance of dignity and dignified treatment was highlighted, stating that "not being heard is being abandoned." The forum concluded with an artistic perspective on the representation of aging in painting.
