Introduction
According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), data from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey and the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey, 28 percent of home health care patients, and 65 percent of nursing home residents, had at least one advance directive (AD) on record. It yields to a significant data that 72 percent of home health care patients, and 35 percent of nursing home residents, have not had AD for their care.
The question is what would happen to those individuals who lack decision making capacity because of acute or chronic cognitive impairment and do not have AD for their own care? Many of these individuals have no known family members or designated surrogates available to help making decision …show more content…
For many older adults, that option is not there. Whether they are estranged from family or have never married or had no children, or loss spouse, or divorced, more and more seniors heading into old age alone, according to an expert in caregiving at AARP, Lynn Feinberg. Physician is often is one of the legal approach currently used to aid in medical decision making. Many people are willing to discuss end of life with their physician and trust their physician to make appropriate decision for them (Weiss, et al.). However, individuals who fail to designate surrogate or complete AD often take place end of life in an acute hospitalization under the care of physicians who do not know the individual that well. The concept quality of life is subjective, different from one to the others. Thus, physicians own thoughts and values about quality of life may be far different from the individual would have wanted. Another ethical issue, many people might argue that physicians working in fee-for-service systems have an conflict in that they are rewarded financially for procedures and interventions which may not always be in the best interest, or preferences for individual (Weiss, et …show more content…
A priority is the patient’s spouse, then an adult child, then a parent, than an adult brother or sister. In the case patients without family, none of the above choice is available, and then last choice on the priority list is “an adult who has exhibited special care and concern for the patient, who is familiar with the patient’s personal values, and who is reasonably available.” Can an individual with those characteristics be exist (Weiss, et al.)?
Population Based Treatment Indicators
According to the article, another legal approach that has been suggested is a population based treatment indicator. Computer drives using data from data base to predict the preferences of an individual who lacks decision making and has no one to surrogate for their care. Per Weiss’s article, at least one study has shown that a computerized treatment indicator can predict preferences as well as, or better than family members, correctly predicting those preferences nearly 80% of the time. Many people might argue that person’s freedom would be denied if allowing a computer to make such
According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), data from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey and the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey, 28 percent of home health care patients, and 65 percent of nursing home residents, had at least one advance directive (AD) on record. It yields to a significant data that 72 percent of home health care patients, and 35 percent of nursing home residents, have not had AD for their care.
The question is what would happen to those individuals who lack decision making capacity because of acute or chronic cognitive impairment and do not have AD for their own care? Many of these individuals have no known family members or designated surrogates available to help making decision …show more content…
For many older adults, that option is not there. Whether they are estranged from family or have never married or had no children, or loss spouse, or divorced, more and more seniors heading into old age alone, according to an expert in caregiving at AARP, Lynn Feinberg. Physician is often is one of the legal approach currently used to aid in medical decision making. Many people are willing to discuss end of life with their physician and trust their physician to make appropriate decision for them (Weiss, et al.). However, individuals who fail to designate surrogate or complete AD often take place end of life in an acute hospitalization under the care of physicians who do not know the individual that well. The concept quality of life is subjective, different from one to the others. Thus, physicians own thoughts and values about quality of life may be far different from the individual would have wanted. Another ethical issue, many people might argue that physicians working in fee-for-service systems have an conflict in that they are rewarded financially for procedures and interventions which may not always be in the best interest, or preferences for individual (Weiss, et …show more content…
A priority is the patient’s spouse, then an adult child, then a parent, than an adult brother or sister. In the case patients without family, none of the above choice is available, and then last choice on the priority list is “an adult who has exhibited special care and concern for the patient, who is familiar with the patient’s personal values, and who is reasonably available.” Can an individual with those characteristics be exist (Weiss, et al.)?
Population Based Treatment Indicators
According to the article, another legal approach that has been suggested is a population based treatment indicator. Computer drives using data from data base to predict the preferences of an individual who lacks decision making and has no one to surrogate for their care. Per Weiss’s article, at least one study has shown that a computerized treatment indicator can predict preferences as well as, or better than family members, correctly predicting those preferences nearly 80% of the time. Many people might argue that person’s freedom would be denied if allowing a computer to make such