what are some ethical dilemmas that occur in health care or human service organizations?
There are many ethical dilemmas from perspective, epsecially in my hometown. I feel that some ethical issues in the human service organizations is race. My dad lost his job after 31 years and was diagnosed with Alzheimers and there was no money coming in after unemployment while he was trying to get his disability. Mu mom worked at WalMart and had 3 kids living at home. Needless to say the DHS would not give them but $40 worth of food stamps. Now the health care on the other hand, many of the elderly do not like others of their other race touching them or helping them. I know this for a fact because I have worked at many nursing homes and at a hospital. Hope that this helps a little.
One great dilemna in the health care system deals with the time of death. Once it was simply when the heart stopped beating and breathing stopped. Now, however, machines can keep a brain-dead person alive for years. Another dilemna concerns the other end of life -- when does life begin? Once it was when the baby could breath on its own and respond to stimuli. Now machines can keep a four-month fetus alive. The difficulty comes when the side-effects come into play. Physical and mental defects usually accompany such premature babies, requiring life-long care.
Some common ethical dilemmas that occur in health care or human service organizations include:
1. Allocation of resources: Limited resources in the health care system can create ethical dilemmas when deciding who gets access to certain treatments or services. For example, determining who receives organ transplants or expensive medications when there aren't enough resources for everyone who needs them.
2. Confidentiality and privacy: Health care providers have a duty to maintain patient confidentiality, but there may be circumstances where disclosing patient information is necessary for the benefit of the patient or others. This can create ethical dilemmas when balancing patient privacy with the need for disclosure.
3. End-of-life decisions: Determining when to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment can be a complex ethical dilemma. It involves balancing respect for patient autonomy, quality of life, and the moral obligations of health care providers.
4. Informed consent: Informed consent is a fundamental ethical principle in health care. However, there may be situations where obtaining informed consent is challenging, such as cases involving patients with cognitive impairments or emergencies where immediate treatment is necessary.
5. Cultural and social biases: Health care and human service organizations must navigate the diverse cultural beliefs and values of their clients. This can create ethical dilemmas when cultural differences clash with the provider's ethical obligations or accepted standards of care.
To address these ethical dilemmas, health care and human service organizations often have ethical guidelines or codes of conduct in place. These guidelines may include principles such as beneficence (acting in the best interest of the patient), autonomy (respecting the patient's decisions), and justice (fair distribution of resources). In complex situations, ethical decision-making frameworks can be used to guide providers in making ethical choices. These frameworks involve steps such as gathering relevant information, considering different ethical perspectives, and weighing the potential consequences of actions.