Preserving Dignity and Autonomy in Elderly Care: Lessons from 'House Calls'

Running head: NURSING ASSIGNMENT
NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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1. One of the notable character that can be seen initially in the film is Mrs. Connie, who is 96
years old. She has lost her husband a few years age and currently lives with her cat “Oscar”,
whom she considers to be her “boyfriend”. She loves playing piano. Her life is entirely
focused on her cat Oscar and she had been managing well with herself and Oscar, until she
suffered from a fall a month ago and was placed in a residential care. Connie had other
comorbidities like cardiovascular diseases and is also partially blind due to age related vision
issues. Previously before being transferred to the residential care she had been living with her
cat totally isolated with a minimal support, as she could not afford any home support.
However Connie wanted to get back home as she wants to spend the remaining part of her
life with her beloved cat “Oscar”.
However the doctor that visited Connie in the residential care gave the information the
Connie is eligible to get a home care support funded by the government. The home support
would be helping her out with fooding, shopping and also with bathing. Connie was a bit
perturbed by this as she thought that would be a breach of her privacy and thus wants to be
bathed with a bathing robe on. Connie had admitted that she had been independent all her life
and have served the church, but her current health issues and frailty does not permits her to
perform all the daily chores such as bathing or shopping.
2. The film mainly focuses in three elderly patients and one of the common
thing that I have noticed in case of all the patients is that elderly patients
have a strong sense of dignity and they don’t permit breaching their
dignity at any cost .I have chosen this point as, Elderly people often

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refuses assisted living and care as they are of the concept that
acceptance of care would breach their confidentiality and independence
(Joubert, Lee, McKeever & Holland, 2013). Hence it the duty of the nurses and
health care professionals to preserve the integrity and the dignity of the
elderly patients. According to the principles of the nursing codes of ethics,
health care professionals should be able to promote shared decision
making and should respect the confidentiality of the patient by providing
a surrounding to enable private activities (NMBA.,2012). For example, in
case of Connie, she can be permitted to do the bathing or some of her
private works all alone by herself.
Another point that I have identified from this documentary is that older
people do not get a justified health care. The concerned doctor in the
video have also stated that “Unless you have a voice, not one will be
there to look after your needs”. Hence it is evident that in most of the
cases the elderly people do get access to the substantial amount of care
that they need or are not at all aware of the different governmental
facilities they are eligible for. Hence in order to ensure a person centered
care, it is necessary to improve the senior advocacy services in order to
educate and advocate for the rights and the dignity of the elderly patients
who require assistance with the Medicare facilities or advocacy in long
term care settings (Australian Government., 2017).
Values and Beliefs