I recently attended a program on ethics in healthcare. The presenter made an interesting point about how to judge a culture. His belief was that you could tell a great deal about the soul of a culture by how they treat their children and elders. As an eldercare nurse, advocate and navigator that touched something in me and reinforced what often see in my work.
As nurses, we use triage to assess the level of severity or acuity of a situation of care. All of us do this multiple times every day. Even the most mundane situations require this scrutiny to make prudent decisions. For instance, if I am running late do I speed and risk being even later because of a traffic ticket. Do I breathe a sigh of relief when I see the police pulled someone else over as I speed by?
The following question tests both a measure of your beliefs and how those fit into your decision making triage. A precursor to difficult or painful decisions is often a state of inertia or procrastination. The following scenario depicts one of those triage opportunities.
You have $500 to spend on a perceived critical need. Arrange the following needs to demonstrate the severity based on your belief system. There are consequences and stressors related to each choice. Your tolerance to the accompanying stress helps define your decisions.
_____ Repair your computer
_____ Home inspection
_____ Consulting engagement for senior loved one’s care
_____ Day at the Spa
There is no right or wrong answer. The options are unique to each of our belief systems. The costs are similar, yet the choices are difficult. Where do you fit in the soul of our culture?
Contact me to find out more about how I can help you make decisions regarding your loved one's healthcare.