Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Delivering Health Care - Part 1
Lecture:Long-term Care Facilities
Slide content:Legal and Ethical Issues Patients may/may not be able to make decisions Family may not be available; patient may need legal guardian Patient has right to participate in important decisions Long term care facilities have ethical/legal obligations 21
Slide notes:End-of-life care and long-term care involve unique ethical and legal issues. Most important, older patients may have conditions such as dementia or cognitive difficulty that leave them unable to make medical decisions. If support from family members is not available, a guardian may have to be legally appointed. All patients have the rights of self-determination and decision making if they are capable. This includes the right to participate in decisions about long-term care placement and the right to refuse treatment. An important concept in medicine is informed consent, or giving permission for treatment after understanding the risks and benefits. All adults should make sure they have certain legal documents in place to let others know their wishes. Advance directives and living wills detail the medical care a person would want if he or she were incapacitated. A do-not-resuscitate order, or DNR , prevents the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or other extreme measures in cases of cardiac arrest. A power of attorney for health care is a document that designates another person to make medical decisions. Long-term care facilities have ethical and legal obligations to abide by patients wishes. 21