Social Work Reflective Task: Analyzing Ethical Dilemmas in Practice

This assignment presents a reflective analysis of an ethical dilemma in social work, centered on the case of Mr. Smith, an elderly man with dementia and lung cancer. The student examines the situation, where Mr. Smith's family requests a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, and explores the ethical c...Read More

Reflective Task for Group
Discussions
Student’s Name:
Student’s ID:

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2. Who (if anyone) caused the situation and why do you suggest so?
The situation occurred due to the family of Mr. Smith since Mr. Smith was the most affected
person in the entire situation. He is an old man suffering from dementia as well as lung cancer
and his family members wants to do the best for him.
3. What was the context in which the situation occurred?
Where was the dilemma occurring?
However on the other hand, his family members does not him to suffer during his last days and
so they does want unnecessary or life-prolonging treatments.
4. How do you think the situation was experienced by everyone involved?
Everyone’s opinion is different such as Mr. Smith do not know what is going on and his family
is also confused since its an emotional matter. The care employees feel that there is a legal
document that protect the action of withholding the treatment they cannot do it. For the manager
it is an employment and training problem (Banks, 2016). The care staff can be dismissed due to
the breaching of contract as it would be against the professional code of ethics for them.
5. About the dialogue with everyone involved
What have you learnt from the conversations between the people involved?
Also if anything happens to Mr. Smith during the care home, despite the family wishes of Mr.
Smith, then it would go against the professional code of ethics for care staffs.
6. Acting with integrity (in accordance with your own beliefs):
By showing the ethical or moral convictions and carrying on the right thigs in every situation
(Thompson and Wadley, 2018).
By being true to oneself and do nothing that dishonors or demeans others
Avoiding what might be harmful or hurt the people involved/affected:
Everyone must meet and came to mutual point regarding the treatment of Mr. Smith. As he
cannot take the decision himself, the family members and the care staffs have the mutual
decisions.

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Balancing and respecting the family versus the personal interests of those
involved/affected:
To make sure that best decisions are taken for Mr. Smith, the decisions must be made jointly by
the members of care management and the family members of Mr. Smith.
Being able to exercise discernment (sensitive insight):
Since, Mr. Smith in if the time comes and he is dying, they should not do first aid or DNR on
him, this is what he personally thinks its right for him and it should be respected and also be
accepted by others. Then the care staffs and the manager must think sensitively that it is the
personal wish of Mr. Smith and then must respect it and stop the life-prolonging treatment and
lead his last days in painless.
Being truthful and trustworthy:
All the persons involved in the situation must remain truthful and trustworthy to Mr. Smith
regarding his health conditions.
Exercising humility:
All the persons involved in the situation must remain humble towards Mr. Smith
Promoting the good and wellbeing of the people involved/affected:
The good and wellbeing of the people involved must maintain their integrity and honesty
towards each other besides Mr. Smith.
Respecting confidentiality, privacy and/or dignity (circle relevant responses):
The dignity of every involved persons must be maintained.
Respecting the right for people to make decisions about their lives/what should happen to
them:
All the persons involved in the situation must respect the decisions of one another.
Respecting the uniqueness of everyone concerned taking into consideration potential
vulnerability, dependency and/or power relations:
Every involved person is unique and different vulnerability, dependency and power relations and
each person must respect it.
Treating people fairly and equally:

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All the persons involved in the situation must treat each other fairly and equally so that it does
not affect the health conditions of Mr. Smith.
Understanding the life stories of the people involved/affected
Everyone’s opinion is different and different life stories which vary from each other.
7. Taking possible action or reacting
What were your main/realistic options?
The family members of Mr. Smith should learn for the future generations and for themselves.
The care manager should be clear with the care staffs about the expectations so they could clear
among themselves and the clients from the very first day. The professional agencies should
have a listening ear for discovering if they can provide clearer direction or also lobby the
government for changing the laws on the problems if the laws lead towards unnecessary distress
(Shdaimah and McGarry, 2018). The society should also realize that it is going to be a growing
concern if we all carry on to age effectively.
What do you think the major argument against your decision might have been?
The major argument would be that everyone has different views on carrying on the life-
prolonging treatments of Mr. Smith. The family members does not want to continue the
treatments while the care staffs and the manager wants to continue the treatments of Mr. Smith.
8. (LATER). What did you learn with hindsight?
We have learned that we should all as an individual take the responsibilities for ourselves for
trying to avoid the confusions which would continue to take place for those us who will not or
cannot solve the problems for ourselves on time prior to the setting of the cognitive impairment.
We have to do it for helping and supporting those people who are ready to support and assists
our old and weak future selves.
9. How do you think this group discussion went? Is there anything you could have done
differently? Or what would you have changed?
Overall it was very good as everyone had good knowledge of the scenario. Everyone was able to
work together and come up with solutions giving in depth details as to why they think it.

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Everyone was well organized and everyone was treating each other with respect. We could have
taken the discussions more profoundly so that we could discuss the scenario more effectively.