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,
This disease commonly presents itself in those who are retirement age and older. The third stage deals with physical impairment or a disease that the family members are unable to provide care for (Scheve, 2013). Some diseases require care that family and friends just aren’t capable of providing for. The fourth stage is a change in personality or lack of proper hygiene. Difficulties in daily life such as incontinence, changing their own clothes, and fixing their meals can be very daunting and frustrating (Scheve, 2013). The final sign an older person shouldn’t be living alone is when he/she gets to be too great of a burden on the family (Scheve, 2013). The average family is juggling their daily activities and aging parents require demands that outweigh the logistical and financial resources available.
With the 1st solution, the doctor feels confident enough to go ahead and discharge S.Z. to go home and go about his regular routine of going to church every Sunday, tending to his gardens, working on small projects around his house, and even conferring with a curanderos. However, since S.Z.s daughter is adamant about this discharge procedure, we must move on to another discharge solution. The 2nd solution I had for S.Z. is to be discharged to a nursing home. Having to move into a nursing home can be one of the most difficult times in a person’s life (Harker, 1997). It can be extremely difficult for the patient because they may feel that