Integrating person-centered care in the treatment of older adults with cognitive impairments: a scoping review

The world population is increasing significantly every day, and the amount of work that social workers do with the aging population is also growing exponentially. Older adults represent a substantial portion of our population, and it is important that we are educated on the appropriate treatment options for older adults with cognitive impairments. Dignity is of utmost importance in the assessment and treatment of older adults. It is vital that we are educated on potential areas of conflict that may arise, where ethics come into play, and how to handle those situations when we are faced with them. This review will examine best practices, integrating person-centered care for the treatment of older adults with cognitive impairments and ethical issues that social workers encounter when providing direct services to clients. Potential areas of conflict will be identified, as well as ethical standards identified by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics.