Health Care in the US is arguably available to all who seek it but not everybody has had the same experience and treatment when walking through the doors of a healthcare facility. In many cases, people are discriminated against due to their gender, race/ethnicity, age, and income and are often provided with minimal service. Differences between groups in health coverage, access to care, and quality of care is majorly affected through these disparities. Income is a major factor and can cause groups of people to experience higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality relative to another group.
People hope and seeks long and healthier lives. Thus, health care is the act of taking preventative or necessary medical procedures to improve people well-being. Improvement or preventative may be done with surgery, the administering of medicine, or other alterations in a person 's lifestyle. These services are usually offered through a health care system made up of hospitals and physicians. Although, the health care system is set up to reduce or to prevent disease etc., there is a gap or disparity in the US health care system. The sexual orientation, race, age, etc., in the US deprived certain groups from receiving equal opportunity in the health care and the health care. Thus, making the disparities in the US health system an
Reading this article for the elderly care, I feel that ethical issues commonly occur anywhere in the treatment of older patients. I had a clinical experience both in an acute-care hospital and in a long-term care facility. Before working in a long-term facility, I was not aware of how many ethical principles were violated in the treatment of older patients as a daily routine as stated in the article. In reality, there are many situations in which older patients don’t completely exhibit their autonomy because they are vulnerable physically and emotionally and dependent on others. Therefore, they become more conscious of caregivers or healthcare professionals. In some cases, a patient’s family states an opinion of the patient’s care plan before
Patient centered care is an approach of forming a therapeutic relationship between care providers, older people and families, mainly focusing on the values and respect (lenus). Care of which is respectful to an individual’s needs, values, social circumstances, lifestyles and family situations by putting them at the centre of care is a priority. This is a way of thinking and doing things in a way of using health and social services as partners. Meeting the needs of the older person include personalising the care of preference, taking account the physical comfort and safety of the individual and Making sure patient has access to appropriate care when they need it. Involvement of families is important as the centre of decisions, whilst working along side professionals for the best outcome. Health care practitioners most see things from the older person’s perspectives by showing compassion when delivering care to the patient along side emotional support
During 1959, the year before the Amendment of 1960, the Bureau of Census indicated a 35.2% of poverty with those 65+ and 17% with those from the ages of 18-64. Roughly seven years later, in 1966, when Medicare was passed and provided for a year, it was shown that 28.5% of the elderly population lived in poverty whilst 10.5% of people from 18-64 lived in poverty (Excel Files tbl 3). From the seven years prior to Medicare being passed to the actual passing of the program, the rate of poverty in the elderly decreased 6.7%. Sometimes, it is difficult to gauge the progress and effectiveness of a program when looking at the course of a few years, however, one can witness trends over a couple decades. In the fifty years since Medicare has been passed, the rate of poverty in geriatrics has steadily decreased as the rate of poverty in those from 18-64 steadily increases. The data, as reported by the Bureau of Census in 2012, is in agreement with the trend stated above. According to the study, roughly 9.1% of geriatrics live in poverty, whereas 21.8% of 18-64 year olds live in poverty (2012 census figure 5). In the past five decades, the rate of poverty in those 65+ has decreased a massive 26.1%. The favorable consequences of Medicare are undeniable and amidst the concern for the elderly, there was a growing awareness regarding civil rights issues of the
Many people in the United States and other industrialized countries are living longer. The life expectancy at birth now is 81 years old. Although this is an important achievement, it is important for social workers to understand the affects that increase longevity have on the individual, family life and social work practice. (https://www.nia.nih.gov). There are many negative stereotypes associated with older adulthood. These negative stereotypes arise from the assumption that late adulthood is considered to be the closing period of life span. Some of the commonly held beliefs about late adulthood include the belief that older adults are less active, do not have goals, are retired and are unable to learn new things. Social workers
According to Baldwin (2003) health care disparities are the differences in health and health care between population groups including race, socioeconomic status, age, location, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. Disparities limits the improvements of quality health care which could result in unnecessary health care expenses. Factors that are contributing to disparities within today’s society are lack of access to quality health care and the number of individuals who are uninsured. As the population continue to grow and become more diverse health care disparities will continue to increase. Patient centered care efforts will improve health care and will assist with eliminating disparities. Patient centered care will promote patient
Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or in opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged racial, ethnic, and other population groups, and communities (Healthy Aging, 2017). An example of a health disparity would be if women were more likely than men to die from pancreatic cancer. Anyone is capable of having a health disparity. Several factors such as gender, age, social class, race, and where the person lives can cause one to inhibit a health disparity, lessening his or her chances of obtaining good health.
In this article, researchers noticed that racial disparities in health care are still prevalent in the United States and the outcome and treatments that blacks and Latinos, when compared to those of white patients, receive are as big as they were 50 years ago. The article looks at several different ways that institutions, such as the University of California, San Francisco, are introducing new methods to training programs that allow doctors in training to realize their own prejudices when working with patients. The article also discusses a 2007 Harvard study that shows that the traditional diversity training used in the 80’s and 90’s was not working and reinforces and confirms racial bias.
The result shows that 46 or 92% of the elderlies wished that they had more respect to themselves. Forty or 80% of them said that they sometimes pity themselves while 34 or 68% of them perceived that they have little or sometimes nothing to help their family and friends. In addition, 33 or 66% of elderlies said that they are not happy with their accomplishments in life while 32 or 64% of them perceived that they do not have capabilities and good qualities that they can be proud of and shared that they find it difficult to accept the changes happening in themselves at the present moment. Moreover, 28 or 56% of the elderlies shared that they often think and wish that they are in other people’s condition while half of them (50%) think and feel that they are useless. Further, despite of the adversities experienced in later life, 32 or 64% of elderlies didn’t think that they
Assisted living facilities are one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. Unfortunately, assisted living facilities have a history of being problematic. Specific cases from the movie Life and Death in Assisted Living Facilities indicates that assisted living facilities are often under staffed, poorly trained, and often admit elderly patients who are not qualified candidates for their facilities (Byker and Thompson, 2013). When taking this in to account, it is important to consider why families may admit their loved ones in to assisted living facilities. Hillier and Barrow (2015), associate problems of caregiving with the responsibility itself, the caregivers personal health, role strains, strained family relationships, ect. With all of this strain on an informal caregiver it seems most beneficial to the caregiver and the elderly individual to consider admittance in to an assisted living facility. Once a basis has been established as to why an elderly person is admitted in to an assisted living facility, further insight shall be established to denote what is considered elder abuse. In this movie, Life and Death in Assisted Living Facilities, several
There are countless known stereotypes that allude to senior citizens; many people believe: senior citizens are lazy, isolated and in poor health, the list could go on and on. The documentary Young @ Heart totally eliminates these stereotypes and discards many of the misconceptions people have towards senior citizens. Young @ Heart documents a chorus of senior citizens, directed by Bob Cilman, as they rehearse for their monumental “Alive and Well” performance in their hometown.
Daniel Callahan’s position on age-based rationing is more sound in comparison to James Childress’s position.
The media often reinforces two extreme stereotypes of older adults. One extreme stereotype shows the negative aspects by highlighting that old age is plagued by illness and a high dependence on others. The other extreme stereotype highlights the seniors that are doing exceptionally well by showing that they are completely independent, finally stable, and maintained a youthful look and persona. These portrayals do not represent the life challenges and successes of the mass majority of aging adults. Older adults are rarely represented in the media, so how they are represented truly matters to their overall image and approach to aging. The Bucket list is an adventure, drama, and comedy movie, its plot followed two older men that were diagnosed with terminal cancer and given less than a year to live. The movie follows them on their series of trips around the world and their wish list of activities they wanted to do before they died.
Medicine is a practice based on moral standards applied to clinical values and judgments, also known as medical ethics. Ethical values consists of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy and justice. However, these ethical principles are affected when distributive justice and rationing of health care resources are implemented “…in a world in which need is boundless but resources are not…” (Scheunemann & White, 2011, p. 1630).