Question

Loretta is a physical therapist specializing in diabetic foot care. She sees Louise monthly. Louise is quite down when she hobbles into the clinic today, her ankles bandaged with blood oozing through the gauze. She tells Loretta, “I’m sure my feet are much worse this month. I haven’t been so good about my sugar, and it didn’t help that my husband hit my ankles with his cane twice last week. I think he is upset about my taxi fare to get here. I think I’ll stop coming.” She begins to cry.

What are the clinical, legal, and ethical questions that face Loretta in this case? What might she do?

Answer 1

Clinically Loretta first priority is to help Louise with medical help and immediately provide her the necessary treatment.

Legally she can provide counseling help to Louise regarding her personal life as this case holds a significance of domestic violence, where Louise is getting mentally affected and even she wants to discontinue her treatment.

Ethical dilemma in this case is if Louise is ready to take any action against her husband because in such cases counseling of both couple should be done as why such differences are arising between them. But as a physical therapist Loretta can just provide her basic help and guidance it's ultimately Louise who has to decide what she wants to do at this point of time.

Loretta can help her with giving information about how she can become financially independent at this will make her self independent and she can take right decision and for domestic violence she can currently advice them to go for counselling for both couple if Louise wants to keep her relationship.