Ethical Considerations in Alzheimer's Care: A Case Study Analysis and Recommendations - Free Report

What are some of the ethical issues in this case?

An ethical issue can be defined as a circumstance that needs an individual to devise tactics to choose between right or wrong when facilitated with choices (Valentine & Bateman, 2011). According to Valentine and Bateman (2011), ethical issues require numerous thought and planning to reason out a solution (Valentine & Bateman, 2011). In the case study, it is essential to read and come to a broad understanding of the situation or claim. Mrs. Dowd is a patient who has severe Alzheimer’s, the primary reason for her admission to the LTH facility. Due to the fact that she is suffering from the late stage of Alzheimer’s, the situation at hand means that she is experiencing both a decline in mental function and physical capabilities (Segal-Gidan et al., 2011).

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The condition can lead to significant problems both long and short term. Mrs. Dowd can have a high chance of experiencing hallucinations, having changes to her personality, inability to communicate effectively, and most important, lack of awareness about the surroundings. According to Hayajneh and Shehadeh (2014), an incident of sexual relationship between the health care physicians and patients is not allowed.

What do you generally recommend?

I recommend that Mr. Dowd be given a lesson about the healthcare facility's ethical issues and different kinds of approaches related to patients with Alzheimer’s. At first, the health facility administration was supposed to inform Mr. Dowd about his wife's frequent visits to the male resident. I also recommend that the facility consult the male resident and question his involvement relationship with Mrs. Dowd. Also, with a clear understanding of all Alzheimer’s stages and the effects of the stage that Mrs. Dowd is in, it will be easy for both Mr. Dowd and the health care facility to perfume and establish a more comprehensive look at the claims that the case holds (Hendrix et al., 2016).

Is Mrs. Dowd able to understand and appreciate her actions with the male resident?

At first, we need to look at whether Mrs. Dowd can have a good understanding and appreciation of actions with the male resident by looking at the conditions she is in at the moment (Guseva, 2018). Mrs. Dowd has Alzheimer’s; hence there is a possibility that she will not understand or instead appreciate the actions she is taking part in with the male resident (Guseva, 2018). This is because Mrs. Dowd is not aware of the people surrounding her in the health facility. To some extent, she might be experiencing hallucinations or delusions and may think that the man she is talking about and spending time with is her husband, Mr. Dowd.

On account of Mrs. Dowd's stage, the possibility of suffering from memory loss might be high and worsening. The possibility is that she might not be able to recognize close family members, forget relationships, and family member’s names, or even maybe she is confused about the location of where she is staying as her home or the passage of time. The action portrayed by Mrs. Dowd clearly shows that her husband, Mr. Dowd, might not exist in her memory anymore. Additionally, Mrs. Dowd lacks understanding of the circumstance and acknowledges the claimed doings between her and the male resident. The reason behind this is that she lacks awareness of the serious issue that her husband has with the that her husband has with the male resident (Kim & Bayles, 2007).

Do the staff have an obligation to intervene to protect Mrs. Dowd? Or at the request of Mr. Dowd?

In her circumstance, an Alzheimer’s special care unit would be perfect for her because the type of facility is built and designed to meet specific needs hence she would be surrounded by other residents with the same ailment. Currently, she is surrounded by all kinds of people, with some being competent; hence, she might not be safe and not at any time should she be left alone again. The staff does not have the obligation and powers to offer any protection to Dowd's wife. This clearly reflects to the issue that Mrs. Dowd lacks related mistakes and the facts about her admission to the health care institution. It is essential to note that the type of care and the kinds of agreements or negotiations should be set between the facility and Mr. Dowd (Alzheimer’s Association, 2020). Hence, who power of attorney should fall on making decisions should be discussed to prevent the scenario's continuity (Kim & Bayles, 2007). The health facility staff has to ensure that Mrs. Dowd is safe and not harmed or manipulated into anything due to her situation. Immediate actions should be taken if the said manipulation or harm exceeds (Hayajneh & Shehadeh, 2014).

If Mrs. Dowd was capable (competent), would the responsibility of the LTC home staff remain the same?

According to Walsh et al (2011), LTC workers have the directive and authority to ensure that the patients in the health facilities are well protected. Their rights should be respected and, at the same time, offered protection as attested by the guidelines of the health care facility (Walsh et al., 2011). Generally, every health facility has the authority to safeguard patient's medical files and all other intimate matters by keeping them secure from the public (Segal-Gidan et al., 2011). If Mrs. Dowd is competent in her actions and is aware of everything around her, she is fully responsible for anything that happens to her. However, a close eye should always be given to all residents around the health facility to ensure no harm happens in the facility.

References

Alzheimers Association. (2020). Memory Loss and Confusion. Retrieved from https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/memory-loss-confusionGuseva, E. (2018). Bridging Art therapy and neuroscience: Emotional expression and communication in an individual with late-stage Alzheimer’s. Art Therapy, 35(3), 138-147.

Hayajneh, F. A., & Shehadeh, A. (2014). The impact of adopting personcentered care approach for people with Alzheimer's on professional caregivers' burden: An interventional study. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 20(4), 438-445.

Hendrix, J. A., Bateman, R. J., Brashear, H. R., Duggan, C., Carrillo, M. C., Bain, L. J., ... & Sperling, R. (2016). Challenges, solutions, and recommendations for Alzheimer's disease combination therapy. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 12(5), 623-630.

Kim, E. S., & Bayles, K. A. (2007). Communication in late-stage Alzheimer's disease: relation to functional markers of disease severity. Alzheimer's Care Today, 8(1), 43-52.

Segal-Gidan, F., Cherry, D., Jones, R., Williams, B., Hewett, L., & Chodosh, J. (2011). Alzheimer’s disease management guideline: update 2008. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 7(3), e51-e59.

Valentine, S. R., & Bateman, C. R. (2011). The impact of ethical ideologies, moral intensity, and social context on sales-based ethical reasoning. Journal of Business Ethics, 102(1), 155-168.

Walsh, S. M., Lamet, A. R., Lindgren, C. L., Rillstone, P., Little, D. J., Steffey, C. M., ... & Sonshine, R. (2011). Art in Alzheimer's care: promoting wellbeing in people with latestage Alzheimer's disease. Rehabilitation Nursing, 36(2), 66-72.