PALLIATIVE CARE case study

F Heron terminal phase of cancer is the period whereby the patient experience abandonment, grief, guilt, suffering and spiritual despair and this is brought about by the persisting symptoms which are inadequately treated. The patient was put on morphine and midazolam for the management of the pain however a complaint arose after Tom’s daughter claimed that her father ought to be put on other meds apart from morphine. She also claimed that she had the power of attorney over her father to make decisions pertaining his treatment. Tom’s had some special specifications on the progress notes and it was authorized by the medical registrar NFR (Not for resuscitation, not for ICU. Confusion was further triggered when Tom’s daughter view differed from the rest of the family members and Tom himself and a decision had to be made as soon as possible so as to manage the condition of Tom in a legal, ethical and in the culturally acceptable way without creating more rift in the family (Kumar and Sisodia, 2013).

These ethical issues are critical to consider as they influence the decision that the doctor will make in the treatment course of the patient. In the case of Tom, ethically the plan of action would continue with the medicines morphine for the management of pain since the patient had consented to it and it’s meant for benefitting the patient (Hegedús, 2000). Administration of the palliative care has legal considerations that govern the decision made pertaining the course of action. This means that no one is allowed to bring harm to other people in their lives, possessions, health, and liberty. Right to better healthcare is perfectly established in the 20th century and it does not only encompass basic clinical care delivery but also a good environment that promotes flourishing of good health.

On the other hand, Jimmy’s mother is claimed to be the enduring guardian. An enduring guardian is a person who is appointed to make a decision pertaining the welfare and health for someone else and these could include decisions like a place of residence and if they will consent to a certain treatment or not. There was, therefore, a legal conflict since the power of attorney and the enduring guardian were consenting to different course of treatment and the best course of action is to ask Tom to revoke the powers of both the power of attorney and the enduring guardian since he was not dead and he needed medication for his cancer. Factors impacting palliative care The aboriginal people in Australia have a very low rate of the utilization of the palliative care compared to the general population.

Palliative care is the care that is given to people in consideration of their emotional, physical, spiritual and psychological needs and it aims at ensuring a better life for the sick individuals, families, and caregivers who are helping the terminally ill patients and those at the end of life process (Richards et al. However, it has been reported by the National Quality Forum that patients at the terminal phase who seek palliative care at the emergency department their health needs are unmet. Identifying the palliative care requirements may help to better manage the condition and in the subsequent care awarded for spiritual, physical, social and psychological suffering. Various tools are used in the analyzing palliative care, for example the Needs at the End-of-life Screening Tool (NEST).

This is an instrument for 13 questions that are developed based on experience encountered by terminally ill patients and it assesses social needs, existential matters, therapeutic matters and the symptoms (Kumar and Sisodia, 2013). Communication is a vital factor in the provision of palliative care. Issues with dosage should be clear since for example overdosage of Midazolam for conscious patients is common. Drugs like Morphine can lead to dependence and thus care should be taken when dealing with these drugs (Richards et al. Conclusion In conclusion, it is crucial that patients in their last phase of life be well catered for in terms of health care services and they should be given all the social, spiritual and the psychosocial support that they need.