Retirement facilities in North Valley, NM, as a long-term care setting, provide you or your loved ones with the atmosphere of a home away from home. In this setting, there is a trained staff of healthcare workers and team members who care for the residents. It is natural for you to be concerned about the quality of care and the moral framework that team members adhere to while assisting your loved ones in their care.
Healthcare workers are collectively bound by an ethical code based on a conceptual framework developed over time by various theorists. These ethics and principles guide team members as they navigate conflicting situations and the overall moral landscape of long-term care. The most widely accepted principles that caregivers use to ensure residents’ well-being are:
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Justice
Continue reading to understand each principle in greater detail.
Autonomy
This principle recognizes that residents of retirement communities are self-determined, independent individuals. As such, they have complete control over the type of care they receive, the activities they participate in, and the preferences they address as members of the community.
Choosing to receive care in a retirement community is one such step that defines their decision-making autonomy. This continues as they encounter various aspects of long-term care, such as the level of personal care they desire, their dietary preferences, medical administration assistance and participation in social activities. Healthcare providers and caregivers are only responsible for recommending a care plan or charting a course of action, but the final decision to participate in this plan rests solely with the resident. In case any conflicts arise, the retirement community management or agency, along with the resident’s family members, may be requested to intervene to reach a resolution.
Beneficence
The principle of beneficence is concerned with ensuring the best welfare and preserving the best interests of residents in a retirement community. This is made possible by providing critical training, skills, knowledge and continuing education to members of the healthcare team. Team members are also responsible for staying up-to-date on the latest patient-care techniques and technology.
The training modules for licensed caregivers are typically state-defined. Caregivers or personal care aides in New Mexico must complete 40 hours of initial training and 10 hours of annual continuing education. Certified nursing assistants must complete a state-approved program and 12 hours of annual continuing education.
Non-Maleficence
Non-maleficence is the idea that caregivers should avoid actions that could endanger the well-being of residents. Caregivers may be faced with a situation in which they must consider their decisions, even if they are well-intended, if they may cause long-term harm to an individual resident. To adequately adhere to this principle, retirement communities typically develop regulatory protocols and risk-management strategies. It is also the responsibility of the community to train and familiarize their team members with these protocols.
Justice
The concept of justice entails the equitable distribution of resources and benefits, and the fair application of rules, regulations and other procedures throughout the community. This fairness applies at both the micro and macro levels, i.e. to individual residents as well as broader community justice. This concept extends to creating policies that benefit all residents, regardless of age, socioeconomic status, gender, religion or country of origin.
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