4. Personhood in dementia

Personhood is another part of our Philosophy of Care in The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

Personhood is a concept that is given to us by others in our society and in our relations e.g. we are ‘a father, a wife, a boss, a Reader at Mass, someone who walks her dog every day.’

 Tom Kitwood (2007) defines personhood as “A status or standing bestowed on others” .

McCormack (2016) expands and says that there are 4 elements to Personhood

  • Being in a social world: persons are social beings
  • Being in Relation to others: persons exist in relationships with other persons  
  • Being in Place: persons have a context through which their personhood is articulated
  • Being with Self: being recognised, respected and treated as a person impacts on a person’s sense of self.