Biology Of Aging: A Case Study

This ethical scenario presents an 86 year old female with numerous health issues and chronic illnesses. Mrs. Boswell’s advancing Alzheimer’s disease makes it extremely difficult to initiate dialysis, leading her physician to conclude a poor quality of life. The ethical dilemma portrayed in this case is between nonmaleficence and autonomy. Health care workers should focus on promoting the patient’s overall wellbeing and weigh the benefits and risks of the course of action, while also considering what the family declares they want done. Since the patient is deemed unable to make decisions, the goal is to collaborate with family, assess patient quality of life, address prognosis, and establish realistic care goals.

Nurses face numerous challenges in their daily advocacy duties. Some physicians may not respond to nurses in a timely manner as they prioritize their task differently (Mendes & Ventura,2016). Additionally, institutional limitation frequently makes barrier for nursing to be able to advocate for patients (Mendes & Ventura,2016). Some professional who support nursing advocacy believe nurses should have higher autonomy to protect the patient in better way (Mendes & Ventura,2016). Nursing ethics constantly deals with challenges to freedom of practice, especially in hospital settings.

One of the most important ethical considerations for all healthcare providers is the concept of patient autonomy. The patient has the right to self-determination and to direct their care. The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes the importance of this ethical principle, and has included that as part of Provision 1 of their Nursing Code of Ethics (2011). Subsection 1.4 of Provision 1 states the patient has the right to self-determination. As a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), a potential barrier to this ethical practices could be the principle of beneficence.

Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to respect patient’s wishes. Consequently, many legal and ethical dilemmas arise in healthcare in response to clinical decisions related to the needs, beliefs, and preferences of patients and families. Other dilemmas result over concerns about the integrity, competence, or actions of other healthcare professionals. Preserving human dignity, relieving suffering, equality, integrity, and accountability are essential nursing values (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen, & Korhonen, 2015). Nurse leaders have an

In the field of nursing, the ANA Code of Ethics is designed to provide specific bylaws that will influence the practices of health care professionals inside the industry. However, there are different advocacy campaigns that will have an impact on how it is interpreted and applied. In the case of advocacy for population health, these issues mean that there could be moral dilemmas faced in the process (most notably: lifestyle choices and their impact on the individual). (Butts, 2012)

The elderly population is growing rapidly and now makes up greater than thirteen percent of the United States population. (APA, 1994). With such a record growth, there are different aspects to aging that are still being analyzed. Many may think of reaching late life as a rite of passage, but many face this time with a different view. Through the movie "UP', we are granted an opportunity into view the struggles of an elderly widowed man by the name of Mr. Fredrickson and the challenges in which he faces in his later life. The movie, takes one on a journey through his sorrows and his triumphs until he realizes what the true meaning of happiness is.

The Affordable Care Act not only strives or yearns for access to quality healthcare for everyone, but also ethical practices in healthcare. According to the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, the issue of health care reform brings important ethical issues of justice to the forefront, as individuals, communities, and the legislature struggle with how to provide quality health care for the many without sacrificing the basic rights of even the few. Americans want high quality healthcare, the right to choose and the right to decide who would service their healthcare needs. Americans expect healthcare services to be cost worthy. Most would also want fellow citizens to contribute to some of the costs and

Ethics, the rules and principles that guide right behaviors or conduct, are foundational to the field of bioethics, which focuses on ethical issues in healthcare (Mclennon, Uhrich, Lasiter, Chamnes, & Helft, 2013). Nurses are faced with ethical decision making principles daily when caring for their patients, some days more than others. According to Yoder-Wise (2011), ethics may be distinguished from the law because ethics is internal to an individual, looks to the ultimate “good” of an individual rather than society as a whole, and concerns the “why” of one’s actions (p. 91). In this particular situation, the nurse has to decide if she will respect the wishes of the patient’s family members or be upfront and honest with her patient and

This case study revolves around the video case “Curing Aging,” a CBC news broadcast by Kelly Crowe who interviews David Rollo’s, professor of the McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., British gerontologist Aubrey de Grey of Cambridge, and Ear Fee of Mississauga, Ont. In the video case, there are three approaches. First, Prof. David Rollo and his team have a mice-experiment in his biology laboratory which feeding one of the mice with a cocktail of supplements, including B

The main plot to this book is successful ageing and longevity. We have always sought out a hidden key to anti aging. In Juan Ponce De Leon Florida 1513 there was a quest for the fountain of youth Buettner, D. (2008). Current time we seek out pills, diets, creams, and new trends. The trend for youth is here to stay, but is it the right trend?

On February 6th, 2016, The Reverend L.L., a Chaplain at a large, suburban, Level III Trauma Center, was interviewed about her worldviews and philosophy on anti-aging medications. The first seven questions were designed by James Sire to help one determine their worldview. A worldview is defined as a “commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart” (Sire, 2015). It is the core of who we are. The last eight questions were formulated from Uustal’s ethical decision-making model (Grand Canyon University [GCU], 2011) to help solve the ethical dilemma regarding the patients’ use of anti-aging medications, and whether the nurse should speak up regarding the manufacture’s false claims, product inefficacy, or potential harmful effects.

Since the 1960s there has been a profound shift from a paternalistic approach, in which physicians are not obliged to disclose relevant facts and make decisions based on their own judgment, to the concept of patient-centered care, where the patient is an active and involved participant in the decision making process. Truth telling, defined as disclosing all relevant facts, is regarded in Western health care as a moral imperative, as well as a mandate in relation to obtaining informed consent. A lack of honesty is also viewed as undermining the trust between nurse and patient, in addition to restricting patient’s autonomy. (Pergert & Lutzen, 2012). Research has shown that while patients vary in the depth of information desired, the vast majority prefers to receive accurate and complete knowledge as soon as facts become known. (Warnock, 2014). Further, the Nurses’ Code of Ethics unambiguously states that a patient has the right to be presented with all facts related to the nature of the condition, its prognosis, and risks versus benefits of therapies prior

In order to better understand aging-associated diseases, it is first necessary to define what aging is. Aging is a complex, multifactorial process of harmful mutations in cells and tissues that are accumulated over time and result in an increased risk of disease and, eventually, death (Tosato, Zamboni, Ferrini, & Cesari, 2007, p. 401). Contrary to the belief that aging can be cured through medical advances, it is scientifically accepted that, while human life expectancy has increased, the human life span has remained largely unchanged for the past 100,000 years (Tosato et al., p. 401). Therefore, future developments in aging research ought to focus on addressing treatment and prevention of major aging-associated diseases that will

Care can be considered simply an ethical task and thus a burden of one more thing to do, or it can be considered a commitment to attending to and becoming enthusiastically involved in the patient’s needs (Lachman, 2012). It is important for nurses to understand their role as a patient care provider and the commitment to providing the best care possible that is safe and effective. The commitment to preserving and respecting the patient’s autonomy is one key ingredient in maintaining a good nurse/patient relationship. A nurse must also ensure that the patient is being informed and consulted about his treatment and plan of care regardless of the patient’s decision-making capacity. Protecting patient’s privacy and confidentiality is one way of gaining the trust and confidence of the patient. There will always be an ethical issue in the nursing field that comes daily in which a nurse must make a decision. This ethical decision will be affected by many factors including their own personal values and beliefs; however, the code of ethics set by the organization provides the nurse a tool guide in which they can base their ethical decisions on. It also provides the nurse guidance for legal and ethical responsibility to the patients. Geriatric nurses may encounter difficult ethical issues in patient care but proper ethical training class for elderly care and geriatric education will better equipped them to confront the ethical issues and dilemmas they are likely to encounter in nursing homes. With education qualification, knowledge and compassion, nurses, can make conscious, moral choices that have long lasting impact on the

Nurses are subject to a plethora of legal, ethical, and professional duties which can be very challenging on a day to day basis. Some of these duties include respecting a patient 's confidentiality and autonomy, and to recognize the duty of care that is owed to all patients. As nurses our duties are always professional; however there are legal implications if these duties are breached. We also must consider when it is okay as nurses to breach these duties and therefore ethical issues arise. As nurses one of our main priorities is to advocate for our patients, without our own personal feelings on the matter taking over.