The Patron Case: GRN 250-002 Aging in Today's World (Case Study Sample)

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GRN 250-002: Aging in Today’s World
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Thought Exercise #2 – The Patron
Everyday situations, especially those involving elderly individuals, comprise multiple interlocking concerns that touch on various ethical and practical issues. Owing to this intricate state of affairs, it is not possible to address an issue in one way and to achieve complete perfection in terms of satisfying all pertinent practical and ethical concerns. Such intertwining concerns necessitate careful analyses so as to adopt the course of action that is most appropriate. The following analysis of The Patron case follows this analytical philosophy.
The Patron case contains several ethical and practical issues. Concerning ethics, one issue concerns whether it is acceptable to sell three bottles of beer to the depicted seventy-year-old restaurant patron. This issue has to do with whether a restaurant staff member should try to cause the elderly patron to understand that ingestion of three bottles of beer could be dangerous to his health. Such matter is an ethical issue because the elderly patron could construe such remark as a demonstration of disrespect on the part of a particular restaurant staff member. Another ethical issue relates to whether it is okay to sell an unhealthy meal to this elderly patron. This issue revolves around whether it is acceptable for a restaurant staff member to point out that it is not healthy for this elderly patron to have a meal that is primarily comprised of carbohydrates. An additional ethical issue concerns whether it is acceptable for a restaurant staff member to ask the elderly patron if he has parked his car at the nearby convenience store or gas station. This issue revolves around the question whether it is ethically permissible to pose such question in good faith even though the elderly patron may interpret such question to amount to undue interference with his personal affairs. Another ethical issue concerns whether, in view of the elderly patron’s jumbled and slow speech, it is okay for a restaurant staff member to ask the elderly patron whether he is suffering from any illness. This ethical issue derives from the idea that, even though a restaurant staff member would ask such question with good intentions, the elderly patron could misinterpret such question as an indication of disrespect for him. An additional ethical issue relates to whether it is okay for a restaurant staff member to ask the elderly patron why he is wearing a hospital gown. Such question would touch on ethics because a staff member has no business asking the patron about his attire. An additional ethical issue relates to whether it is permissible for a restaurant staff member to inform the elderly patron that cigarette smoking is harmful to his health. This is an ethical issue because, while a restaurant staff member would deliver such warning with the interests of the elderly patron at heart, the elderly patron could hold that the staff member has disregarded the patron’s right to free choice.
Regarding practicality, a key issue concerns whether it is acceptable for this lone patron to have a meal and take a drink at this restaurant that is family-oriented. An additional practical issue relates to whether this elderly patron will be able to walk back home safely after taking three bottles of beer. Another practical issue relates to whether the manager of this restaurant should call the four nearby hospitals and enquire if an elderly patient has just left these institutions in an unprocedural manner. The manager would make this enquiry because, given his attire and outward appearance, the elderly patron appears to have escaped from a hospital. Such enquiry would constitute an ethical issue because the manager is not legally or professionally responsible for conducting any background check on the elderly patron. Nevertheless, as an ethical human being, the manager has the responsibility of ensuring that the elderly patron has not escaped from a hospital. Moreover, the elderly patron could hold that the manager has infringed on his privacy. An additional practical issue concerns whether it is okay for the manager of the restaurant to con...