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Ethics Essay

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An Ethical Dilemma

Introduction

An ethical dilemma exists when the right thing to do is not clear or when members of the health care team cannot agree on the right thing to do (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, 2011). S.Z. is a 65-year-old Hispanic man who was admitted to the hospital for the third time in 6 months, for hyperglycemia. He is now scheduled to be discharged but his daughter pleads with the nurse that she does not want her father discharged because he is non-complaint with his medications and diet at home. She says she has small children at home and can’t be responsible for him, too. She is worried sick that he is doing this on purpose because he has been so depressed since her mother, who did everything for him, …show more content…

With the 1st scenario of discharging S.Z. to go home; his daughter may feel responsible for him after he is discharged and may end up resenting him if she is unable to meet his medical care needs due to her own family issues and daily responsibilities. S. Z. may feel like his daughter doesn’t want or need him around which may cause a lot of anxiety.
With the 2nd scenario of discharging him to a nursing home; this may make S.Z. feel more depressed due to a loss of independence. He may even start to feel isolated because he will unable to attend his church, tend to his gardens, or work on small projects around his house. All these things help to keep him in touch with the world as well as keeping his body, especially his hands, nimble.
With the 3rd scenario of holding off on the discharge and calling to order a meeting of the minds to further discuss S.Z.s discharge outcomes. There are 5 signs an older person shouldn’t be living alone. The first sign is that the older person is healthy, but cannot safely live alone. Even the healthiest people are prone to slips, trips, and falls, especially when taking certain medications. Older people have a much higher risk

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