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Ethical Issues in Nursing
Over the last ten years, the demand for long-term care services has been facing increasing amounts of pressure. Part of the reason for this is because of the large portion of the population that is becoming older (the Baby Boomers). As they have the potential to cause the overall amounts of demand to increase dramatically. Evidence of this can be seen with information compiled by the Government Accounting Office. Where, they found that the total number of people requiring long-term care services will double by the year 2050. As the costs for this care will increase to $379 billion, this is above the total amount spent in 2000 of $179 billion. (Walker, 2002) This is significant, because it shows how long-term care is going become a major part of all health care expenditures in the future. As a result, there are number of unique ethical challenges that are facing the industry. To fully understand the overall scope of these concerns as well how they can be addressed requires: identifying specific ethical issues and leadership strategies that can be used to tackle these problems. This will be accomplished through: examining key strategies that are pertinent to these ethical challenges, analyzing of the evidence and understanding its importance to Nursing. Together, these different elements will provide the greatest insights, as to the underlying challenges and solutions in addressing the different issues facing long-term care.
Key Strategies Pertinent to Ethical Issues
There are a number of different ethical issues that are affecting long-term care services these include: living arrangements / family obligations, financial costs and possible abuse / isolation. The living arrangements / family obligations is when there is challenges for the other family members (such as the children), who are forced to determine what to do with an elderly relative. On one hand, they want to support these individuals, yet they may have other family obligations in their lives. Where, these people may be unable to spend the time necessary with an elderly relative. The financial costs are the total monetary impact...
In some cases, they may not be able to stop working, due to economic and family issues. ("Long-Term Care Ethics," 2011) The possible isolation / abuse are when an elderly relative is facing various forms of neglect from a caregiver in: a nursing home or assisted living facility. ("Ethical and Legal Issues of Long-Term Care," 2008) These different elements are important, because they are highlighting a host of ethical issues that must be wrestled with when sending a relative to a long-term care facility. This is troubling, due to the fact that these challenges can add to overall burdens that family members are wrestling with.
Leadership Strategies to Address the Issues
To effectively address these different issues leadership strategies must include a number of different elements. This is designed to help tackle the ethical issues that are being faced and provide workable solutions (which can be augmented to various situations). As a result, there are number of factors that must be embraced to achieve these objectives to include: having a deep sense of compassion / setting the example, improving communication and understanding how different regulations can be used to address these issues. Having a deep sense of compassion / setting the example is when the individual will have a genuine concern about what happens to a particular person. At the same time, they must be setting the example for how these ethical challenges will be tackled. These different factors are important, because they will determine the overall quality of care that is being provided to the patient. Where, the trained health care professional, can use the underlying amounts of compassion and follow up to set the tone for the organization itself. Once this takes place, it means that the family members can feel a sense of relief, by knowing that the individuals will address these ethical concerns (based upon their underlying amounts of compassion and professionalism). (Sullivan, 2006, pp. 907 -- 914)
Improving communication is when the health care professional is discussing the…
Bibliography
Ethical and Legal Issues of Long-Term Care. (2008). Avanza Education. Retrieved from: http://www.avanzaedu.org/legal-ethical-issues.asp
Long-Term Care Ethics. (2011). JRank. Retrieved from: http://medicine.jrank.org/pages/1063/Long-Term-Care-Ethics.html
Bono, J. (2000). Ethical Issues in Health Care on the Frontiers of the 21st Century. Norwell, MA: Kluwer.
Kane, R. (2000). Long-Term Care and a Good Quality of Life. The Gerontologist, 41 (3), 293 -- 304.
Walker, D. (2002). Long-Term Care. GAO. Retrieved from: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02544t.pdf
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