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Ethical issues involved in the everyday care of the elderly continue to present a serious moral challenge to general society. Fr. Peter Jeffery offers a framework on which to build a strong ethical, medical, and social position to underpin twenty-first-century care of the elderly. He offers hope for everyone who wants to ensure a solid moral foundation on which to build a better world for older people in need of care. The author surveys the problems society faces in caring for an elderly population that needs extensive health care. It outlines the responsibilities that society has regarding a ministry of caring for the elderly, and defines the role of the Church in this ministry, particularly in helping families and care-givers make critical decisions regarding the terminally ill. Jeffery also explores the major ethical debates regarding the elderly, such as the right to choose--autonomy, and the right to die--euthanasia. The ethical dilemmas that these issues raise will determine elderly care in the new millennium. To face these problems, Jeffery reveals the need to reexamine how the elderly are cared for and what motivates that care. In Going Against the Stream, Jeffery provides a moral platform for elderly care while emphasizing an ethos of respect for the dignity of older people.
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