This paper examines Alice LaPlante’s novel Turn of Mind (2011), focusing on the agentic crisis experienced by its protagonist, Jennifer White, whose agency is doubted, tested, and exploited by both her family and society. Given that individuals with dementia face a higher risk of wrongful criminalization (Arias & Flicker, Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 48(2), 318–327, 2020), this study explores the vulnerabilities of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease to legal accusations and the broader implications for their legal personhood. Through Pia C. Kontos’s theoretical framework, which redefines agency as an irreducibly embodied phenomenon, the paper challenges the presumption that cognitive decline equates to a loss of personhood. Findings suggest that agency in Alzheimer’s disease persists beyond cognitive impairment, manifesting through embodied actions, social interactions, and emotional reflexivity. While legal and caregiving structures often undermine this agency, a relational approach – where caregivers act as facilitators rather than custodians, can help sustain the personhood of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. By affirming the evolving and creative capacities of individuals with Alzheimer’s, this paper argues for caregiving and legal practices that prioritize inclusion, dignity, and agency, ensuring that personhood remains an active and recognized aspect of their lived experience.
