Review standard 15 in the 2015 Ethical Standards of Human Service Professional, considering this ethical obligation, what would be some areas we would want to assess with Alice?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: You are a human service professional at a senior center for disabled adults. Within your agency, each client is has a contract that states that they will be provided a nourishing meal daily as well as mental health and medical care throughout their stay. Oscar, one of your colleagues comes to you to discuss some ethical concerns regarding the patients at the facility. Upon meeting with Oscar, he shares that he has witnessed "some of the staff encouraging residents to accept interventions and treatment that the residents do not want or do not even have all the information on. For example, Jacob was talking to Sam our new client about going into the art class. From my interactions with Sam, he does not read very well and has everything read and interpreted by his daughter before he signs. Jacob told Sam that he just needed to sign a paper to allow him to go out on outings, he never even mentioned that Sam would need to join a class to do that. I think the staff may have the best health-related interests of the patient in mind when they encourage the medication, therapy or diet, but my concern is that the residents really have the right to refuse and give informed consent and I'm not sure if this is something unethical. Just this morning, I noticed Alice who was on James' caseload today was very underweight and refused to eat her lunch. James told her that if she didn't eat, she would not be permitted to use the library and would be put back into the hospital. After this, Alice ate her food but I then overheard her in the library saying that we will regret treating her like that and that none of us can be trusted or are safe. I don't know what she meant but I am concerned because she has a crisis history. I know that her family expects her to eat the hot meal served at the center, but I also believe in client autonomy and each person’s right to refuse treatment.”