Health Care for the Aging and End of Life Care
Health Care for the Aging and End of Life Care
There should be a consideration on several ethical issues in the allocation of resources for health care to the aging population an end of life care. The ethical considerations ensure equitable and proper allocation of resources towards the care of the aging and those near the end of their lives, Craig (2010). The first standard worth consideration in the sanctity of human life, this is because of the tendency some practitioners to hold a low opinion on the lives of the elderly, human live is as paramount in the aging population as it is in the young population, Crippen & Barnato (2011).
This ethical principle will ensure equity in the allocation, of resources in healthcare. Equitable allocation of resources for the aging and those near the end of life will ensure that they receive the necessary care in their last days. Another ethical standard worth consideration features the treatment of those suffering from terminal diseases. Just because, a patient is suffering from a terminal ailment, it does not mean that he or she should not receive the necessary health care. There should be provision of the necessary health care to such individuals. In the allocation of resources end of life care should feature as a paramount determinant of the budget distribution. Another ethical issue worth consideration is the backgrounds of the aging and those approaching the end of life, Goethals, Gastmans, & Dierckx de Casterle (2010).
This should determine the amount of resources to each of the category. Aging populations from relatively poor backgrounds out to receive resources higher than the elderly from relatively well up neighbors. This will ensure that the elderly from poor backgrounds receive health care just as those from well up neighborhoods, and will enhance equity. Another ethical issue to consider in the perspective of the background is areas prone to diseases of the elderly. Aging populations from slums and poor areas tend to suffer a lot near the end of their lives. This is because they live in disease prone areas where they easily contract and succumb to diseases. Resource allocation in the care of the elderly should center on the aging in disease prone areas. These populations of the elderly should receive higher resource allocation to ensure that they are accorded the essential health care.
Ethical challenges that may inhibit resource allocation towards health care for the elderly in the society those near the end of life maybe due to terminal illness is first, the tendency to treat such cases with negligence. There is a tendency by some practitioners to regard the lives of the elderly and those approaching end of lives as less paramount in comparison to the young generation, Zomorodi & Foley (2009).
This may present problem in health care allocation where such populations receive too little resources to cater for their health care needs. The other ethical challenge that may be prominent in the resources allocation is the lack of equity in the allocation. This is failure to realize the dynamics that encompass health care for the elderly; for example failure to consider the backgrounds of different populations, which is paramount in the determination resources to different populations. Another challenge that may be imminent is the lack of trustworthiness in the allocation, of resources by unscrupulous individual who may not hold with high esteem health care of the elderly or terminally ill, Pavlish Brown-Saltzman, Hersh, Shirk & Rounkle (2011)
References
Is this your assignment or some part of it?
We can do it for you! Click to Order!
