Humanism in Aging: Using Empathy and Compassion to Make Life Better in Old Age

Abstract

As older people become frailer and more vulnerable, they require more care and attention. As healthcare professionals, we recognise this phenomenon in our everyday practice as we manage their decompensation in physical, cognitive and mental states. Complex ethical, humanitarian and psycho-social issues make their care more challenging and intricate. But the path to optimal care be treacherous, and primum non nocere is not always easy to achieve. In this talk, I will illustrate with examples some of the tricky ethical and compassionate care issues in geriatric medicine, including the widespread use of physical and chemical restraints in frail elderly people in Hong Kong.