Prior to completing this discussion, please read the American Psychological Associations Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (Links to an external site.)(2010) and Fact Sheet on End-of-Life Care (Links to an external site.) (2014), as well as the Block, et al. (2006), Kwak, & Haley (2005), and Torbic (2011) articles required for this week.
You are working at an area hospital dealing primarily with end-of-life decisions and palliative care. For this discussion, you will be reviewing the PSY605 End-of-Life Case Scenarios Download PSY605 End-of-Life Case Scenariosdocument and making recommendations based on the information provided in the scenarios.
All end-of-life choices and medical decisions have complex psychosocial components, ramifications, and consequences that have a significant impact on suffering and the quality of living and dying. The issues involved in this process of decision making are based on issues of developmental stage, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, health, family, and physical, cognitive, and psychosocial states. For your initial post, you will apply concepts from developmental psychology to create your recommended courses of action for either Roger or Geri.
To begin, carefully review the PSY605 End-of-Life Case Scenarios Download PSY605 End-of-Life Case Scenariosdocument, select one of the cases, then create a recommended course of action for the scenario selected by addressing the following questions:
What is the best recommended course of action for the client at this time, and why?
What potential effects would themes such as the clients culture, ethnicity, family, education, and gender have on the situation and recommendation(s)?
How does the clients developmental stage factor into your recommendation?
How do the clients physical, cognitive, and psychosocial states affect your recommendation(s)?
How might the developmental stage(s) of the clients family member(s) affect your recommendation?
How will you present your recommendation(s) to both the patient and family member(s)?
What consideration(s) would affect your manner of presentation?
Are there considerations that cannot be processed at this time because of lack of information in the written scenario?
Next, analyze and comment on the ethical considerations related to the scenario. Note how the APAs Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (Links to an external site.) might provide guidance.
Remember to evaluate the unique scholarly perspectives presented in your reading to support your recommended course of action and analysis of ethical considerations.
PSY605 End-of-Life Case Scenarios
Case 1: Roger is a healthy 62-year-old African American male with a wife and four grown children.
While out on his morning jog two weeks ago, he was hit by a drunk driver. Roger has been left paralyzed
from the neck down, and he is no longer able to perform basic life-sustaining functions such as eating or
breathing without the help of machines. Because he can no longer talk or use his hands to write, his
communication is limited to moving his head in simple yes or no responses when asked a question.
His living will was last updated 25 years ago when his youngest child was born. The will indicates that
Roger would like to receive life-saving treatments in these types of events. However, when prompted by
doctors, nurses, and the hospital-appointed social worker regarding his current wishes, he seems to be
communicating that he does not want to continue living in his current state.
Case 2: Geri is a 38-year-old single mother. Her son, Gabe, is 17 years old and a junior in high school.
After experiencing some headaches and changes in mood over the past several weeks, Geri finally visited
a neurosurgeon a week ago. During that visit, it was discovered that she has an inoperable brain tumor.
Her life expectancy is 6 to 8 months. In addition to fears about her own impending death, Geri is very
worried about how to best provide for and take care of her son. She cannot decide if she should continue
working full-time to make sure that Gabes expenses are taken care of, or if it is best to take this
remaining time off to enjoy with her son. Once she is gone, she does not know if she should send Gabe to
live with an aunt who lives several states away for his final year of high school, or if she should allow
him to live with a friend in their neighborhood and grant custody to that parent so Gabe could continue
living and going to school where he is most comfortable. She is also at a loss as to how to explain this
situation to Gabe in a way that he will understand so that both of them will be able to move forward.
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