Question

Certificate III IN INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

CHCCOM005: Communicate and work in health and community services

CHCLEG001: Work legally and ethically

ASSESSMENT TASK 2: CASE STUDIES

CASE STUDY 1: NORNI AND JIM

Norni and Jim talked frankly about ageing and death long before either of them reached old age. They both agreed that they did not want to be kept alive artificially and that they would like to refuse treatment when they no longer had a good quality of life.

When Jim entered residential aged care, he specified his wish which was recorded on his file. His wife had a medical power of attorney for him so that she could make decisions about his treatment if he was not able.

After a period of time his health worsened. He no longer knew his wife and suffered pain and discomfort. He suffered many chest infections.

After one particularly bad chest infection, Norni spoke to Jim’s doctor and said that she no longer wanted his chest infections to be treated with antibiotics. The doctor knew Jim’s wishes and agreed that this was what he would have wanted.

His next chest infection was his last. He died peacefully and with dignity.

One of the personal care workers was heard to say in the staff room, ‘I can’t believe the doctor didn’t give Jim antibiotics. He would have been alive now if he had. That’s malpractice! His wife probably just wanted his money quicker.’

1. How has the personal care worker breached ethical requirements?

2. What would have been the ramifications if Jim had been given antibiotics against the instructions of his wife?

3. How did the personal care worker’s values differ from those of Norni, Jim and the doctor?

4. What action should be taken by the person who heard the personal care worker’s comments?

Norni is very sad after her husband’s death. She confides in you that she misses him terribly. She is glad that he is finally at peace but is also struggling with her decision to refuse treatment. She knows that is what Jim wanted but wishes he was still with her. She tells you that she can’t sleep at night and does not feel like eating at all. She thanks you for the care that you provided to Jim in his last weeks of life.

5. What would you say to comfort Norni?

Norni is so thankful to you for all the support you have given to Jim and her that she presents you with Jim’s gold watch and says she wants you to have it. It is old and looks very valuable.

6. Would it be a conflict of interest to accept this gift? Explain your answer.

7. What would you say to Norni, regards to the gift she has offered?

CASE STUDY 2: MAYA

Maya is an Aboriginal lady from the Kimberley region. She lives in a small, remote community but has recently entered an aged care facility as she is seriously ill with cancer. She is not expected to live more than a few months. The closest aged care facility that could take her was four hour’s drive from her home. The facility has only one male Aboriginal worker, Benny. The rest of the personal care workers are all female non-Aboriginal people. Most of the residents at the facility are not Aboriginal.

Maya does not settle well into the facility. She does not eat the food unless it has been brought to her from her family. She likes to chat with Benny and tells him that he is the only one who understands how she feels about being so far away from home. She will not let Benny assist her with tasks such as dressing and bathing, however, as he is male. She often refuses to shower.

Other residents have complained that Maya is rude and often ignores them, and never looks them in the face. They also say she is dirty and they do not want to associate with her.

1. What issues does Maya face regarding communication with staff?

2. What issues does Maya face in communication with other residents?

3. What assistance can Benny give to other staff to assist them to communicate with Maya?

4. Is Maya being rude when she doesn’t look people in the face when talking to them? Explain your answer.

Benny explains the process that will happen when Maya is near death. Various members of her family will gather to be with her. On her death they will conduct a smoking ceremony to purify the room and remove bad spirits. The body will then be taken back to her homeland to be buried.

The health and safety officer say that he understands this is Maya’s custom, but the smoking ceremony cannot be undertaken in her room. This would set off the smoke detectors and other residents may complain about the smoke. He suggests they do the smoking ceremony when her body is back at home. Benny rolls his eyes and walks out of the room in disgust.

5. What are Maya’s rights to the smoking ceremony?

6. List two things that Benny can do to support Maya to ensure that her rights are met.

7. List three things that Benny and the health and safety officer should do to resolve their differences.

CASE STUDY 5: HERRIOT

You are working in a community health service which is run in conjunction with a youth ‘drop-in’ program known as Youth in Front. Herriot Malini is a 14-year-old girl who has been attending the program for some time. Herriot has a mild intellectual disability with sub average intellectual functioning and lack of social skills. Herriot has a reputation for dishonesty including telling lies and stealing from others.

You have noticed lately that she has been withdrawn and subject to fits of temper. When you ask her if she is okay, she tells you that no, she is not okay and how would you feel if your mother’s boyfriend kept feeling you up?

As you talk to Herriot, she discloses that her mother’s boyfriend has touched her sexually on several occasions when her mother has been at work. She has now moved in with her grandmother to get away from him. Her mother went crazy when she found out she was living with Grandma and when she told her why she called her a ‘lying little b***h’.

She tells you that she wants the man locked up so he can’t hurt her anymore, but she also tells you that she would be much too scared to talk to authorities about what has happened.

Herriot also says that her mother has no rights over her because she is not her real mother but only a guardian because her mother died when she was a baby.

1. What legislation covers the protection of children against abuse in your state?

2. Herriot has a reputation for lying. Does this mean you should decide whether or not she is telling the truth before reporting the allegation? How may the code of ethics assist you with this decision?

3. Where can you find information about how to deal with allegations of client abuse inside and outside of your organisation?

4. What guidance does a code of ethics give in relation to confidentiality in this case?

5. Is Herriot right when she says her mother has no rights because she is not her real mother?

6. You realise you will need to report this to your supervisor. When should you do this and what would you do if your supervisor was not available?

7. What communication and interpersonal techniques would you use when talking with Herriot?

8. You may have personal values that conflict with those of Herriot’s family. How would you deal with this?

ASSESSMENT TASK 3 - ROLE PLAYS:

ROLE PLAY 1: HERRIOT AND THE CARE WORKER:

This role play is a continuation of Case Study 5 from Assessment Task 2.

In this role play your assessor will play the role of Herriot. Herriot is going to tell you some things.

You will need to take notes about what Herriot says to you, as you will need to discuss her situation with your supervisor in Role Play 2.

As part of this role play you should:

▪ Listen to what Herriot has to say. Use verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to show Herriot your concern, show respect, and to make sure you have understood her correctly

▪ Respond appropriately to what Herriot tells you

▪ Ask for permission to take notes

▪ Explain what you will do with the information that Herriot has given you.

Your assessor will refer to the following checklist when observing your performance:

▪ Demonstrate effective communication skills?

▪ Check understanding and demonstrate empathy and respect?

▪ Respond appropriately?

▪ Respect the confidentiality of the disclosure?

▪ Explain duty of care to client and mandatory reporting requirements?

ROLE PLAY 2: HERRIOT'S CARE WORKER AND THEIR SUPERVISOR:

This role play is a continuation of Role Play 1 above.

In this role play your assessor will play the role of your supervisor, Ian.

You need to give Ian a verbal report of what Herriot told you. You can refer to your notes during this discussion. You will need to talk about what further action should be taken.

Ian will ask you questions.

As part of this role play you should:

▪ Provide a full, accurate and non-judgmental verbal report of what Herriot has disclosed.

▪ Detail your own responsibilities in this situation.

▪ Describe what actions should be taken next by your organisation, including timeframes.

▪ Listen to your supervisor’s instructions and confirm that you have understood what you need to do and what timeframes you have to do it in.

Your assessor will refer to the following checklist when observing your performance:

Comply with legal and ethical responsibilities to report suspected child abuse?

Correctly identify breaches of legislation that have occurred to Herriot?

Communicate effectively using verbal and non-verbal techniques to provide clear, accurate and easily understood advice of what has occurred?

Demonstrate a non-judgmental approach?

Use industry terminology effectively?

Confirm that your message has been understood correctly?

Listen to instructions and clarify their meaning?

Respond appropriately to instructions and questions?

Clarify timelines for carrying out instructions?

Communicate in a timely manner and in line with workplace instructions?

Role play 3: Jenienne

You are to role play a telephone conversation with Jenienne. She is the daughter of a potential client of your residential aged care facility.

Jenienne is concerned about her father’s rights within the home and the type of care that they will receive. She is also concerned about how information is kept (both electronically and in hard copy) and who will have access to her father’s information.

Your assessor will play the role of Jenienne.

Your assessor will refer to the following checklist when observing your performance:

Demonstrate knowledge of legal and ethical obligations relating to confidentiality?

Demonstrate knowledge of how information is securely maintained?

Demonstrate knowledge of who can access client information?

Demonstrate knowledge of how electronic and hard copy records are maintained securely?

Use effective telephone techniques?

Use effective communication skills – both verbal and non-verbal?

Explain information clearly and confirm understanding?

Listen to requests, clarify meaning and respond appropriately?

Agree on any follow-up actions?

ROLE PLAY 4: ELANA

There are two parts to this task:

1. Role playing a discussion with Elana about the storeroom.

2. Answering a set of verbal questions related to this scenario.

You have been asked by your supervisor to clean out the storeroom – it has become a workplace hazard. Nothing has been sorted and there is stuff all over the floor.

You are a little concerned because your supervisor has told you to ask Elana to assist you. You know Elana hates doing jobs like this – and the last time you worked with her, she basically told you to get lost!

Your assessor will play the part of Elana. You must ask her to assist you with the storeroom, and try to avoid a conflict. Ian, your supervisor, has asked you to get this done immediately because it is a health and safety hazard.

Following the role play, you will need to answer a set of verbal questions.

Your assessor will refer to the following checklist when observing your performance:

Use effective communication to avoid and resolve a potential conflict situation?

Explain workplace instructions to a colleague?

Negotiate timeframes with a colleague?

Demonstrate a collaborative and motivational approach?

Use appropriate, non-confrontational, body language?

Answer 1

Case study 1

Ans.1. Personal care worker breached the ethical requirements by commenting that it is malpractice because it was Jim's wish according to his medical power of attorney

Ans.2. It would have been disobeying of Jim's wish as he doesn't want to live artificially at old age

Ans.3. The personal care worker's value is different from others because he valued the humanitarian aspect rather than ethical aspect

Ans.4. The person who heard the personal care worker's comment should make him understand the ethical aspect of Jim's wish a peaceful death

Ans.5. I should explain to Norni that it will take some time to adjust herself without Jim. Slowly she will be adjusted to it. She can engage herself in some other works of interest so that she can get rid of it soon

Ans.6 Yes, it would be conflict of interest to take gift as the person taking care is paid for it and gifts should not be accepted from party at any cost

Ans.7. I should thank Norni for her offer but should express the inability to accept gift as it is not ethical to accept gift from client

Case study 2

Ans.1. Maya faced difficulty in communication with staff because she's the only aboriginal lady in the facility speaking with some use of aboriginal words which cannot be understood by staff properly

Ans.2. Maya faced issues in communication with other resident as she's the only aboriginal lady speaking little different language and have different custom, belief and habit

Ans.3. Benny can assist other staff by explaining Maya's language to them which they cannot understand

Ans.4. Maya is not rude when she talk to people but it is her nature being aboriginal that she doesn't look people in their face

Ans.5. According to the aboriginal custom, Maya has right to smoking ceremony. But as she is resident of aged care facility and she reside with others and there is smoke detector, so it cannot be performed

Ans.6. Benny can support Maya by saying that he will:

(i) request the authority of facility to fulfill her right

(ii) he can assure that it will be met at her home before funeral

Ans.7. (i) Health facility officer should make Benny understand that though it is their custom, but it cannot be practised in the facility as it is harmful to other residents.

(ii) Benny should understand the problem of health safety officer

(iii) Benny should be assured that this can be done at home too