Social Implications of Medical Issues Within the Miller family (Term Paper Sample)

Social Implications of Medical Issues within the Miller Family
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Introduction
Being a social worker for this case, I would advise the Ella and her family members, more so her husband to try hospice and palliative care for her at home. The patient’s (Ella’s) preference is to stay at home for the remaining days of her life due to the stress that comes with the discord and discomfort of other members of her family since she was hospitalized (Wuerl,2015).
Body
As this is a seriously ill patient, hospice and palliative care provides an alternative that is more dignified and comfortable to spending of a patient’s final months in the hospital environment that is impersonal. Medicine provided on palliative basis will assist Ella in managing her pain while hospice on the other hand will provide special care towards improving life quality for both Ella who is the patient in this case and her family. Generally, preferring to go the hospice and palliative care way is not a sign of giving up or hastening demise but rather helps in getting care that is most appropriate in their life’s last phase (Wayne et al, 2015).
Synthesis of the current research that is relevant to this scenario
Current research that is relevant to this scenario is based on the concept of hospice and palliative care, more so, on old –age patients like in the case of Ella. Even though death is taken to be a natural life’s part, research still has it that death frightens a lot of people. One imagines loneliness and pain, spending of the final days of one’s life in an environment that is cold and sterile of a hospital that is a bit far from family and friends and greatest of all love. On the other hand, hospice care represents an approach that is compassionate to care provided towards the end of life, quality enhancement of the part of life that is remaining which enables the patient to live a full and comfortable life as possible (Csikai & Raymer, 2003).
Cultural or traditional issues that cold arise at the time of hospice and palliative care.
Traditionally, hospice is considered to be an option for persons whose life expectancy is six or less than months and involves care that is palliative which brings about pain and symptom relief. Traditionally and culturally, this would be more preferred rather than any curative measures. The expected benefits include; one is enabled to live his/her last days with dignity, purpose, support and grace. Even though some nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities of health care provide onsite hospice care, in many instances, it is in the patient’s one home where it is best provided. Other benefits of home provided care include; enabling the patient to live the last few days of her life in an environment that is comfortable and familiar, with loved ones surrounding, people who can focus more fully on the patient with hospice staff’s support. Palliative care on the other hand refers to any type of care that does away with symptoms, even though there might be hopes of cure by other means. The approach majorly focuses on pain, symptoms and emotional stress relief all of which might have been brought about by illness that is serious. One’s disease doesn’t have to be terminal for one to qualify for palliative care and in the Unites States; many treatments to do with palliative care are covered by Medicare. In other cases, treatments that are palliative can be used in alleviation of the side effects of curative treatment, which include relieving of nausea that is associated with chemotherapy, which is capable of helping someone to tolerate more aggressively or with longer term treatment (Wuerl, 2015).
Traditionally, many societies, especially in the Western nations, death is taken as a taboo subject. The consequences of this are that many patients together with their families are ever reluctant to initiate a discussion on the possibility of hospice or palliative care (Csikai % Raymer, 2003). As majority of people wpuld go for the option of dying in their homes due to traditional and cultural reasons, the norm is still for patients who are terminally ill to die in hospitals under close care of professional medical practitioners, while receiving treatment that is either ineffective or unwanted, while missing the love and tender care from the loved ones in the family and friends clique. These loved ones usually have access that is limited and often miss sharing of their life’s last moments which would otherwise have been spend with the loved ones who also miss the presence of the deceased one after she is gone, in this case being Ella’s husband, John Miller, parents who are Mary Olsen and Fredric Olsen together with their children who include; Sam Miller, Lila Goldberg, Al Goldberg, Sara Miller and Joe Miller. Other families that choose hospice care, more so in a traditional set up do so only a few days towards the end of the patient’s lives. Ella’s family should not allow this to occur. For Ella to ensure that her family, whose member also have various medical conditions understands her wishes, it is crucial for every family member to learn all they can about hospice through any reliable means possible as well as palliative care and do a discussion about their feelings with those that they love before any medical crisis takes root. When her loved one are clear about her preferences which include being taen through hospice and palliative care at the comfort of her home, they will be free to devote their energy in care and compassion which will reduce her stress and will even extend her life as well as make it more enjoyable than t would have been at the confinement in the hospital.
Other cultural and traditional issues that might come up include wealth inheritance or rather division among the children upon Ella’s demise. When at home receiving the care, she will be better placed to deal with any issues that might come up that are related to property division and inheritance (Robinson & Segal, 2015).
Micro, mezzo and macro influences affecting both the patient and diverse family members
In Wuerl (2015),Micro, mezzo and macro influences affecting both the patient and diverse family members, several of whom suffer from different ailments include; a rising cost of life and expenses due to other medical expenses incurred in treating other members of the extended family. Ella’s medical condition calls for a cumulative medical check up for all family members which might act as an eye opener of other ailments that might also be present in the family. Due to the fact that others also require equal medication, other demanding it with more urgency, Ella does not have to continue being admitted. While at home, receiving hospice and palliative care, other sick members will also benefit, thus making the whole process more economical (Wayne et al, 2015).
Relevant medical issues, advantages and disadvantages of hospital versus home medical attention
Hospice and palliative care have several benefits. According to research that has been published of late, patients that are terminally ill and who receive hospice care can live an extra 29 days than those who did not opt for hospice near life’s end. Providers of hospice care offer knowledge that is specialized as well as support as the end of life just as midwives and obstetricians provide expertise and support at life’s start. Hospice reduces anxiety in patients that are terminally ill and her family through helping them to make the most out of the time remaining and also achieve some acceptance levels. When patients who are terminally ill, who are often already in a physical and mental state that is weakened, they make decisions of receiving palliative and hospice care instead of curative treatment that is continued, they have a tendency of avoiding overtreatment dangers. During in-home care from a hospice IDT, the implication of this is that the patient receives monitoring that is greater than she or would have received in hospital. In addition to putting more focus on a patient’s comfort and physical health, hospice care also focuses on the spiritual well being as well as those that are terminally ill and their loved ones. The presence of the patient at home gives assurance to the loved ones, more so Ella’s husband that she is safe and her health is being taken good care of. Since a hospice program provides substantial training ad support for family caregivers, it also assists many patients to feel less of a burden to their loved ones. It cuts down the hospital bills that would otherwise be a great bother to the family members despite knowing that they would die a short while after (Csikai & Raymer, 2003).
According to Wuerl (2015), Palliative care provided at the hospital can be offered to patients at any age of illness ranging from months to years, whereas in hospice agency services provided at home, patients have a 6 months prognosis or less and a terminal diagnosis. The servi...