Patient Autonomy In Still Alice

The movie "Still Alice" is a powerful and emotional portrayal of the challenges faced by individuals diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease and through the story of Alice Howland, a highly successful linguistics professor, the movie highlights the importance of patient autonomy and assertive utterances in the face of a life-changing illness. The film is a thought-provoking and impactful depiction of the challenges that individuals with Alzheimer's disease face and serves as a reminder of the importance of treating patients with dignity and respect.
One of the key themes in the movie is the importance of patient autonomy. Patient autonomy is defined as the right of patients to make decisions about their own health care, free from coercion or undue influence; In the movie, Alice Howland's early onset Alzheimer's disease slowly but surely erodes her independence and autonomy by forcing her memories from her in addition to certain terms and

Assertive utterances are statements or requests that express one's own opinions or needs in a clear, direct, and respectful manner. Throughout the movie, Alice uses assertive language constantly to express her opinions and make decisions about her health care. For example, early in the movie, Alice insists on getting a second opinion about her diagnosis and refuses to accept it until she has more information. This is an example of assertive behavior and highlights the importance of patients being their own advocates. Alice also uses assertive language when she communicates with her family about her wishes for her future care, such as her preference for staying at home rather than in a care facility. This is an important scene in my eyes as without this assertive behavior being expressed, Alice may have very well been placed in a care facility despite her wishes due to her neurologist as well as her families