Ethico-Legal Considerations for Older Adults

Ethico-Legal Considerations in the Care of Older Adults

• Gerontological nursing requires understanding ethical and legal principles.
• Healthcare professionals must follow moral and legal principles when caring for elderly.

Laws Affecting Senior Citizens

• RA 7432 (Philippines): Promotes welfare and participation of older persons.
• RA 9257 (Philippines): Expands and strengthens senior citizen rights, emphasizing welfare and social participation.
• RA 9994 (Philippines): Aims to promote the welfare of older persons and ensure active participation.

Benefits for Senior Citizens

• Increased discounts on goods and services, including medications and medical services.
• Free medical care in government hospitals.
• Senior citizen identification cards for various benefits.
• Strengthened social security for senior citizens, providing pension benefits for public & private workers.

Ethical Principles

• Autonomy: Respecting patient's self-determination.
• Beneficence: Promoting well-being by doing good.
• Non-maleficence: Avoiding harm.
• Justice: Fair and equitable distribution of resources.
• Veracity: Truthfulness and honesty.

Legal Considerations

• Informed consent: Obtaining patient's informed consent for treatments.
• Advance directives: Respecting end-of-life wishes.
• Confidentiality: Securing patients' personal information.
• Elder abuse reporting: Recognizing and reporting abuse/neglect.

Ethical Dilemmas in Gerontological Nursing

• Balancing autonomy and beneficence.
• Decision-making capacity assessments.
• Resource allocation prioritization in limited settings.
• End-of-life care balancing aggressive treatment and palliative care.

Ethical Decision-Making Framework

• Identify the ethical issue.
• Gather relevant information.
• Consider ethical principles and values.
• Explore options and potential consequences.
• Make a decision.
• Reflect on the outcome.

Addressing Elder Abuse and Neglect

• Recognize signs of abuse/neglect.
• Report suspected cases to proper authorities.
• Implement prevention strategies.

Cultural and Social Considerations

• Respect cultural differences and beliefs.
• Address social disparities and inequalities.
• Promote social justice for older adults.

Continuing Education and Advocacy

• Stay updated on ethical and legal issues in gerontological nursing.
• Advocate for policies supporting older adults' rights and well-being.

Nursing Care in Older Adults

• Chronic care.
• Acute care.

Services for Older Adults

• Access services:

  • Case management
  • Information and referral
  • Transportation

• Community-based services:

  • Adult day care
  • Congregate nutrition programs
  • Elder abuse protective services
  • Health screening/wellness promotion
  • Housing services

• In-home services:

  • Home-delivered meals
  • Home health services
  • Home hospice care
  • Homemaker service
  • Home maintenance

• Access service (Community/In-home):

  • Institutional respite care
  • In-home respite care
  • Legal assistance
  • Personal emergency response system
  • Multipurpose senior centers
  • Psychological counseling
  • Retirement

Factors Affecting Need for Nursing Care

• Individual characteristics: age, sex, culture, marital status, living arrangements, mobility, ability to perform basic activities, incontinence, and disease (DM).
• Behavior problems: memory and cognitive impairment, mood disturbance, mental status, tendency to fall.
• Clinical prognosis, income/payment eligibility, and need for special service.
• Support system: family capability, age/health of spouse, responsible relative presence, family structure, availability of physician, amount of care.
• Community resources: Formal/informal support system, long-term care institutions.

Spirituality Among Older Persons

• Personal beliefs and values.
• Connection to a higher power.
• Meaning and purpose in life.
• Transcendence and spirituality. -Importance of spirituality in older adults' lives: improved mental health, enhanced quality of life, increased resilience, greater sense of purpose, improved social connections.

Formal or Therapeutic Communication

• Conscious and deliberate process to gather information about overall health.
• Responding with approaches (verbal/nonverbal) to promote well-being.

Informal or Social Communication

• Simple chitchat has a place in nurse-patient communication

Nonverbal Communication

• Tone of voice.
• Body language.
• Proxemics/space in communication/physical space. -Social space.
• Personal space.

Barriers to Communication

• Age-related changes: Hearing and vision loss, reduced sensory ability, slower reaction time.

Geriatric Health Care Team

• Collaborative approach for providing comprehensive care.
• Core members: geriatrician, nurse gerontologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist, case manager.

NIH 2030 Initiative

• Key goals: Extend healthy lifespan, reduce health disparities, enhance quality of life.
• Research priorities: Neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic diseases, frailty, and sarcopenia, cellular senescence, epigenetics, microbiome.

Challenges and Opportunities

• Challenges: Complexity of aging processes, ethical considerations, funding/resource limitations.
• Opportunities: Advancements in technology, interdisciplinary collaboration, global aging population.
• Healthcare challenges & opportunities include access to quality care, preventive care, chronic disease management, and mental health services.
• Social service challenges & opportunities include social support, in-home care, adult day care, and community centers.
• Economic security challenges include pensions, savings, and social programs.
• Housing challenges include affording and affording safe/accessible housing.
• Transportation challenges include maintaining independence and social connections.
• Technology challenges include supporting aging in place/quality of life improvement

Country-Specific Programs

• United States: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security
• United Kingdom: NHS, Care Act 2014
• Japan: Long-term care insurance system
• China: Nine-Year Plan for the Development of the Cause of the Aged

This quiz explores the ethical and legal principles involved in gerontological nursing, highlighting the essential laws affecting senior citizens in the Philippines. It also discusses the various benefits available to older adults, including discounts and medical care. Join us to test your knowledge on these crucial aspects of elderly care.