Question

Imagine your loved one is a resident of a long term care facility. On your weekly visits, you notice a gradual weight loss. When you ask the staff about this occurrence, they reply they haven't noticed the weight loss and state the resident is eating three well balanced meals daily. Upon investigation, you discover the quality of food your loved one receives is different than others due to the type of insurance paying for their care. Discuss the ethical effects this type of care presents and why? Is this a legal problem or just an ethical dilemma? Discuss what actions may be taken to rectify possible rationing of care in the future.

Answer 1

yes this is against the medical ethics. if there is difference due to type of insurance paying and if it is affcting the quality of the food offered to the patient which is undernutrition then this is the etical duty of the medical staff to inform the concerned guardian as well asthe family persons regarding that. This type of the biased care represents the bad image of the medical care. This is not a legal problem as per the legal insurance paid and the services to be avail it is well clear but if such problems of undernutrition weight losss occurs then it should be informed to the concerning family members and the solutions to solve such evidence based cases.

then the insurance may be renewed as per need or the supllementary options may be used.

i know it is an ethical dilemma but as per medical ethics it shoud be properlly discussed with family members.