Keele Research Repository

Providing consent for those unable to do so for themselves has received comparatively little attention in the bioethics literature. Despite this, there is pressing need to make decisions for others. An aging population with an increasing incidence of dementia and other cognitive impairments, medical science’s ability to keep people alive for longer, the ever-advancing range of treatment options available, concerns as to how we should treat those with a mental disorder that compromises their autonomy, and changing social attitudes towards determining our future care have all contributed to this need. All cases raise similar sorts of questions: who should make these decisions, what sort of decisions about consenting should be made, when should we seek consent from others, and how should decision-makers go about making such decisions?