Question

Elva, a 370-lb, 62-year-old woman, is in a nursing home after complications of diabetes and several small strokes. Although she has been overweight all her life, she now is at a weight where it is unsafe to transfer her without a bariatric lift. Elva, however, refuses to be moved with it, claiming, “I’m not a piece of meat.” She can be transferred to a chair with the assistance of four or five staff members. The administration, however, is worried that the staff could be injured physically while moving her. Her daughter insists that it is a violation of Elva’s dignity and an unnecessary compromise of her autonomy to submit her to “the indignity of the mechanical lift.”

You are the supervisor of the unit. What ethical principles can help you to assess what to do in this situation? What should you do?

Answer 1

Ethical principples and concerns based on it is always a challenging thing for a personnel in healthcare. In this scenario, the autonomy of the patient Elva, is in question.

The best thing a supervisor can do, keeping in mind about the opinions of Elva and her daughter and also about the danger the staffs possess while moving her, is to talk it iut with Elva and her daughter. The supervisor must make Elva and her daughter understand the danger the staffs have to face doing this and hiw it cam be prevented.

Also make them understand that a mechanical lift isn't of an indignity creating scenario and is just like the handicapped using a wheelchair or a debilitated patient being moved in a stretcher or wheel chair.

It is the supervisor's duty to both save the staffs fron any harm and also save the autonomy of the patient. So he should convince Elva and her daughter about the mechanical lift plan and make them happy kr okaybto accept it.

If that doesn't work, patient's autonomy is the priority and make use of maximum support and safety measures and use all the resources available to move Elva to the chair without having any harm to the staffs.