Balancing safety and autonomy

Reference no: EM133675981

Question

Cathy Smith, an eighty-eight-year-old woman, was admitted to the emergency room from the nursing facility with acute respiratory distress. Although Smith does not have a living will, her daughter Rose, a health care professional, has the power of attorney (POA) to make her mother's health decisions.

Smith suffers from end-stage Alzheimer's disease and recently experienced congestive heart failure. Her condition is alarming. The doctors want to place her on life-support equipment, including a ventilator. Smith's son, Andrew, agrees with the doctor's decision. However, Rose states her mother would never want to be placed on life-support machines to prolong her life.

Regarding Cathy's case, ethical concerns always arise in balancing safety and autonomy. Do you think, for this reason alone, the POA should have considered the doctor's suggestion? Why or why not?

Reference no: EM133675981

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