Therapeutic lying and silencing of the elderly and dying

Abstract

An important device of medical power can be characterized by the paternalistic attitude towards the patient, establishing an asymmetric relationship in which the doctor has the necessary knowledge to define the best for the patient. Bioethics seeks to minimize this asymmetry through the idea that the patient has the right to consent to interventions that will be (or not) performed on their body. However, a common situation for some medical specialties is the use of therapeutic lying. This article reflects on the use of therapeutic lying based on the analysis of an ethnographic bias case. The analysis carried out shows the therapeutic lie as an unfolding from the concealment of death and dying. In addition, it enables reflection on the process of erasing the capacity for autonomy and consent among the elderly as a result of individuality and independence as fundamental values for modern contemporary society.