Question

Aging is not for the faint of heart. There are many issues related to care needs and options, access, and the view of the patient or resident versus that of the practitioner. Given what you learned in Chapters Eight and Nine, choose two issues that you think are most important to patients or residents as they age and answer the following. 1. Why are these issues critical for aging Americans? 2. What are the attitudes of practitioners toward these issues? 3. What principles of ethics relate to these issues?

Answer 1

Two issues that are most important to patients as they age are :-

- decreased sensory perception (vision ,hearing etc)

- isolation

a) These issues are critical for aging American's because decreased sensory perception hinder their normal day to day life activities ,they have to depend on others to function properly and also it causes negative impact on the health . Isolation ,due to aging parents are left alone by their children's as they can't take care of them and this leads to loneliness , psychological impairments mostly depression and anxiety. There is no one to take care of them .

b) There is a positive attitude of practitioners towards these issue. They provide care which are specific to aging and the main care provided to them is the psychological support system . Aged people are provided special home care facilities a nurse is designated to take care the patient's physical and mental health. This will help them to cope up with their sensory barriers and loneliness . They are provided activities and care which make them engaged and happy . A person is not said to be healthy until he is mentally fine .

c) The principles of ethics applied here is justice means everyone is treated equally . Aging does not become barrier to get the treatment . Autonomy the right to make decisions is done by the patient itself , not by any other person .