Abstract
Dealing with a critical health condition is one of the social issues that required well collaborated and efficient multidiscipline personnel who have to dedicate their utmost effort in providing medical care, moral support as well as ensure the necessary remedies are enacted. Such cases where different personnel from various interdisciplinary background come together to solve a critical problem at hand will require a sense of trust, understanding different personalities and at the same time tolerate each other both professionally and socially so as to find a solution to the problem involved. The process may however involve challenges of social problems such as conflicts among the involved professionals as well as disagreement between the family involved and the health care providers on the basis of different opinions from the involved personnel.
This is the similar case that faces Riverbed City whereby several people from different roles in the society have to come together and work in an effort to provide medical care and moral support to the patient suffering from bone cancer not mentioning the fact that he is also in a critical age of eighty five years. This paper therefore addresses some of the multidisciplinary issues that this group has enacted in an attempt to find a solution of helping the patient. The involved people who include family members, medical practitioners and public service health workers as well as the neighbors have a role to play in providing medical care to the patient and moral support to the family in this critical condition.
The process of finding a solution in provision of home hospice care for the patient involves the involvement of multidisciplinary personnel who have to work together in ensuring that the patient is as comfortable as possible in his last days of living. These involve care providers, health providers and religious leader and family of the patient who in one way or another have conflicting ideas and issues that are likely to affect the care giving process. In the process of finding the facts and the issues that concern the process of home hospice, there are several multidisciplinary conflicts that can be seen to exist, the major one being the religious conflict as well as the family- health care providers’ conflicts in terms of the medication that will be used to relieve pain on the patient.
One major professional conflict is the religious versus the multidisciplinary methods that will be used in providing home hospice process whereby some of the practices are against the religious (Jewish) teachings. The patient’s wife is likely to insist on the religious food to feed the patient even in times when swallowing and digestion may be difficult instead of supplementing the food with more medically appropriate food supplements. Also the involved chaplain is not accepted by the family as they may enact Christianity beliefs which may contradict with the Jewish traditions and practices. There is also a conflicting concern that the care provider volunteer might face some difficulties while dealing with the family as she has never worked with a Jewish patient before. Such conflicts have to be addressed carefully so as to reach an agreement as they are the likely key of the failure of the plan.
The issue of collaboration may also bring out difficulties in trying to fix into the hospice plan due to different ideas, time schedules and the finances involved. The process of hospice care requires a common focus of looking after the patient and ensure that he is comfortable and at ease. While the health care recommends strong pain killers, the social worker may recommend the family wishes of the patient to be under less strong medication so that he may interact with the family members. Hence such issues may bring about lack of collaboration and in order to ensure a smooth plan, the collaborating members also have to set up a common plan which they will use in administering their multidisciplinary chores to the patient and his family.
The power of trust relationship is also another issue that needs to be discussed in the process of finding a lasting solution. The patient’s family particularly the wife is concerned on the medication that the care provider will use on her husband as she is afraid that they might use morphine to ease the pain which in turn may interfere with the process of natural death. Trust relationship need to exist not only between the family and the hospice plan providers but also between the involved collaborators so as to create a healthy working environment with no conflicts as each involved party has to be trusted to provide the services in his or her line of duty.
The application of multidisciplinary approach is so far effective as each of the participants is aware of their responsibilities. For instance, the oncologists has played his part on advising the public service provider on some of the issue he is afraid may hinder the process in terms of food provision in the last days of the patient when eating may be a problem. Also the volunteer is much aware of her roles and she even asks for detailed information concerning the new client so as to avoid any conflicting mishaps that may affect her duties.
So far, the approach has proved to be effective as every involved person knows his or her duty and also they have done enough effort in knowing the needs of the family, an issue which is the primary process in making the hourglass model effective. So far they know the social needs (religion, age and family needs), financial in terms of what the insurance company is willing to cover for, among other needs. The initial assessment process is so far adequate and they can now move to the next step of discussing the issues presented and come up with various alternatives that will help in coming up with a solution for each fact.
Two most influential people in this hospice plans are the social worker and the health leader. The social worker plays the role of the mediator in the decision making process and has to listen to both the professional workers’ side and that of the family and ensure both parties needs’ are represented without bias. She therefore needs to consider the best opinion in drawing a plan of what needs to be done so as avoid any possible conflicts once the plan is implemented.
The nurse plays an important role of ensuring the health condition of the patient is looked after at all time. This means her presence at the home of the patient is mandatory as any minor complication may result to the failure of the plan. Also the nurse is directly involved with administering medicine to the patient, one of the main causes of distrust among the involved. Hence the family and other involved parties have to put trust in her to ensure the decision made is adhered to.
As human service personnel, one of the major issues that are essential to handle in the group is trying to create an environment where all the involved people work with close relationship as possible. Enabling the family understand the role of a religious chaplain is essential and at the same time encourage the chaplain handle the family as per their beliefs since contradicting with them may result to unsuccessful plan. I would however recommend a religious counselor who understands more of the family’s religion to create more trust in the customs and beliefs of the as the current one is not concerned with denominational issues (Browman, 2004).
The next step after identifying the issues will be coming up with different alternative solutions aimed at solving the contradicting issues at hand (Legg, 2004). For instance, coming up with a solution on the medical attention that ensures the patient painkillers ease his pain and at the same time ensure he attains a natural death as per the family concerns.
Collaborative work involved in multidisciplinary plans can be challenging as a result of conflicting ideas and the issue of building trust among the involved parties. However, it is essential to find possible plan that is convenient not only to the professionals involved but also the family and the patient in particular (Browman, 2004). Hourglass model of identifying issues at hand and looking for the best alternative solution for each issue is the best model in completing a task that involves collaboration in order for it to be fully handled.
References
Legg, L. (January 31, 2004). Rehabilitation Therapy Services for Stroke Patients Living at Home: Systematic Review of Randomized Trials. The Lancet, 363.9406, 352-356. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/medical/docview/199117986/fulltext/13BC47B884C36C80D97/46?accountid=27965.
Browman, T. Et al. (March/April 2004). Emergency Department: Improving Patients Satisfaction. Nursing Economics, 22.2, 71-4, 55. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/medical/docview/236936193/fulltext/13BC47B884C36C80D97/90?accountid=27965.
