Ethical Issues In Long-Term Care

1516 Words4 Pages

Long-term care read: Toward an ideal system, Ethical issues in long-term care, Technology in long-term care, Into the future: Trends to watch
Role of Technology in Long-Term Care
Which challenges in long-term care system remain unmet? Why?
Long-term care has been slow to utilize telemedicine for the following reasons; A lack of funding for updates, not knowing how to install or use telemedicine in long-term care, worries over conflicts of interest, staffing turn over, lacking knowledge to control telemedicine, customers often lack knowledge of new technology, and the facilities and customers are unaware of the available technology relating to long-term care (International Federation on Aging Global Connections, 2012, p. 8). The biggest barriers …show more content…

It allows the facility to cut spending, improve quality, while allowing for educated planning and implementation. For the consumer (in a facility or in the community) and their caregivers, technology allows for communication, medical education, coordination with health providers, and medical monitoring (Pratt, 2016, p. 447-450). The facility can use information gained from electronic records to eliminate unneeded programs and expenses, having all the information in one place allows the facility to say we only use fifteen bedpans a month, but buy fifty-five every month. The facility can then cut waist. The patient can stay in their home longer now with the aid of technology. Consider the commercials of the lady who has “fallen and can’t get up”, technology such as this fall monitoring system allows the patient to get help, despite being alone and unable to …show more content…

In a way, the patient can fully understand, and then allow the patient to make an educated decision. Issues related to informed consent include the patient not understanding, some patients are not mentally capable of giving consent, or the patient is incapacitated and has not made their wishes know previously. To combat this, doctors have patients sign consent forms stating they fully understand their options, and risks before treatment. When entering a facility, the patient is asked if they have a living will. If they don’t they are asked if they would like to make one. Dictating how they would like to be treated if they need life-support. In some cases, patients never make a living will, and have gotten to a point where the facility is merely keeping them alive, because that is their mission statement. In cases like this, an advocate from the courts may be assigned to the patient. To decide on the best choice of action. In others, the judge makes the final decision (Pratt, 2016, p. 354-362). Basically, if the patient has made their wishes know in writing or by appointing someone to act on their behalf the facility must follow their wishes. If the facility can not the patient can be moved to a facility that can. If the patient never made their wishes know the facility must keep them alive until someone in their family or the courts decide. Regardless as to what

Open Document