ETHICAL ISSUES In ELDERLY

Raden Ahmad Dedy Mardani, MNS

Issues
 The elderly are often easy targets for
those who want to take advantage of
them or abuse them.
 Physically more frail than younger people,
with failing vision or hearing, they may be
unable to understand what is happening
or to take defensive action.
Issues cont….
 In addition, they may be socially isolated
and lack a network of friends and
relatives who could help them.
Fraud
 People of all ages may be targets for fraud,
and the Internet makes it especially easy.
 For example, an elderly couple who can
no longer work may be persuaded to sell
an expensive nutritional product from
their home.
Fraud cont…
 They may invest a large amount of money
in the product, fill their garage with the
product, and then find they are not able
to sell it.
 Or an elderly person may pay far too
much for an over-the-counter medicine
that is useless or even harmful.
Abuse
 Physical or emotional abuse of the elderly
may come about when a hired caregiver
or even a family member is cruel to a
patient.
 The elderly person is not strong enough
to stop the abuse and may be too
dependent on the abuser to dare to
complain to anyone who might step in to
help.
Abuse cont….
 More often, people are thoughtless rather
than deliberately unkind in their
treatment of the elderly:
 Physicians and other medical personnel
may shout at patients with the
assumption that they cannot hear;
 People may not be willing to wait an
extra moment for an elderly person; and
so on.
Physical Abuse Sign
 Bruises or welts having no apparent cause
 Vaginal or anal bleeding
 Broken bones
 Wounds or cuts
 Signs of physical restraint
 Suspicious behavior by a caregiver
 A fearful attitude toward some other
person
Neglect
 Neglect, without actual abuse, is probably
more common.
 A busy caregiver, even with good
intentions, may find it hard to give an
elderly patient enough help with shopping,
grooming, and other matters.
 Again, a physician may note from a
patient’s appearance that he or she is
being neglected.
Insurance
 The cost of medical care has skyrocketed
since the 1960s
 Whatever happens to health insurance in
the coming years, it seems inevitable that
taxes must increase to cover increased
costs of insurance.
 Although that may be costly and painful,
the cost and pain of not doing anything
would be far greater in the long run.
Insurance cont….
 Many families who thought they had good
health insurance have lost their homes
and retirement savings because they
needed the money to pay medical costs.
Others Issues
 Housing
 Transportation
Conclusions
 Reaching out to others is vital, not a sign of frailty
or weakness.
 By taking advantage of legal and social services,
the elderly can empower themselves in many
ways.
 By seeking out good medical providers and
following their advice, the elderly can strengthen
their bodies and make themselves healthier.
 Being proactive and independent, yet willing to
depend on friends, family, and the larger
community, can help the elderly manage their final
years as happily and easily as possible.