Social Implications of Medical Issues

Introduction to the Miller Family

Lisa M. Buentello

SOC313: Social Implications of Medical Issues

Professor Crystal Logan

July 8, 2015

Introduction to the Miller Family

Introduction

Technology has been evolutional especially in this 21st century where the introduction of computers and other major examples of technology has taken the world by storm. During the olden days, things were not as evolutional as much as they are now and so was the medical sector. During the 19th and 20th century, there were less and less qualified doctors since the fields of medicine were not taught and that they had to improvise their own methods of treatments (Postman 2010). They used traditional medicine men and herbs to cure their illnesses. But in this 21st century, the field of medicine is well advanced and is full of different equipment’s and medicines that can help heal the sick. At the same time, home care has been facilitated by education of how best to take care of the sick by the doctors such that the family members can take care of them easily but under supervision of the doctor. It is therefore better to consider various factors before choosing whether to be hospitalized or to do home based care. Therefore, hospital care is the best type of dealing with chronic or critical illnesses because expert help will be guaranteed and one will be in much safer hands of the professionals.

Cultural or traditional issues arising from the case

Culture refers to how certain groups of people behave in reference to who the traditional people in the same lineage believed and behaved. Culture refers to the morals, beliefs, knowledge and ethical standards that are exhibited by a certain group in the community. Different groups have different cultural background that lays down the rules and regulations that control our behaviors (Waddington, 1995). People in different cultural upbringings are expected to behave in the same way that the ancestors and those in their lineage behave. However, there has been an erosion of these cultures in the 21st century and many are doing away with these issues. For example, in this case the major factor that would arise would be those of decision making. According to the Asian traditions, they value the family group setting rather than the individual in that everything that they do, courtesy and thoughtfulness should be upheld. In their traditional hierarchy of the family, the husband or the father is the one responsible for decision making and then the next person responsible for the decisions is the eldest son who must make them in compatibility with the wife’s preference. In decisions of medical affairs, it is not allowed for the family to disagree in front of the doctor concerning the best treatment method as it is shameful (Lindley1989).

Family reactions

In this case, Ella’s husband says that the traditional means of treatment should be followed and that Ella should die at home rather than at the hospital bed. Since he leads a traditional family, his decision might have a higher preference and the family ought to accept it duly. In the same context, Ella who is elderly and is suffering from cancer, wishes that she stays at home and waits for her death there. She feels stressed that the family is in discord because they are traditional and feel that they should treat her according to traditions. She has been using the traditional treatments and had recovered only for it to come back. The family might therefore be reluctant to accept the decision of Ella and wish that she continues to get medical attention rather than go back since the traditional means did not work before. She can also be coerced to follow the mainstream medical care rather than the traditional means and this would be taken up by the family maybe in a rebellious manner since they are of traditional setting. This would be a very good choice if she chose to undertake it given that the traditional means have all failed.

Biological basis for care

There are different sicknesses or illnesses in the family of which they should all seek medical attention. But the main issue brought about by their traditional family setting is whether to seek medical attention in the hospitals or just to go at home and hospice help offered to them. For instance, Joe’s brother Sam is an alcoholic who moves from job to job since he cannot keep the jobs for long. Considering that almost all family members are ill, the option of Sam seeking hospice medication at home is not at all very good for the family because each of them needs to take care of themselves rather than others. He needs to enroll in a rehab where he will get all the help. Being at home will not keep him off the alcohol. Lila is sick with diabetes. Diabetes patients do not require much attention and will usually do well in all environments as long as the patient has the necessary medications. Therefore the family members would not see it as a burden; in fact Lila can take care of other sick patients in the family as well as the family members. Another patient is Josh who is starting to have drug problems. I think the family would be comfortable with him staying at the hospital rather than being at home because at home it’s very difficult to control the usage of the drugs than in the hospital. Rehab would also work best for the granddaughter Lucy who would not be helped much while at home. If they choose for her to be treated at home, it will be a lot of hustle because it will be their responsibility to make sure that the drug problem is not persistent. The daughter in law, Sarah, is having some stress brought about by the family having medical issues. If they choose for her to be admitted in the hospital, they would incur much cost which is avoidable. But if they can assign her to a doctor who can counsel her and lead her out of the stress problem, the family would be better off.

Ella’s medical condition and prognosis effects

Ella choice is for her to be admitted at home and seek medical help from the hospice but this is brought about by the pressure of the husband and the family members to leave the hospital and continue seeking the traditional lifestyle of using herbs without the American medical hospitals. There would be some difference in decision in the family concerned with what is the best action to take. For example, the husband would be reluctant to accept Ella to be admitted in the hospital, which is the best decision, as compared to her following the traditional means of treatment. The father being the head would ask for her to be taken to their home but the children would be forced to take care of themselves plus their mother which would be tiresome. Neighbors on the other hand would expect them to honor their tradition and go seek hospice treatment. They would not be comfortable with the idea of her staying in the hospital because they would expect her to obey and stick to the culture of traditional means of treatment but if they are reasonable and do not follow the culture strictly, they would understand that hospital treatment is better off.

Hospital care is beneficial in that the patients receive the best kind of treatment and someone is assigned a patient at all times thus close monitoring can be done and routine administration of the treatment can give the patient structure and fast recovery. However it might be quite expensive, restrictive in terms of privacy and might also experience have limited access to the family (Brailer & Thompson, 2004). Home care on the other hand might be advantageous in that the patient will feel more comfortable and flexible, a very conducive and encouraging environment at home is offered to the patient, saving on cost as well as having unlimited access to the family members. It might have disadvantage in terms of lacking specialized equipment to offer treatment as well as having difficulties in dealing with emergency situations. The family, especially Sarah, has been stressed out by the fact that the illness has continued for sometimes now and has almost given hope. The husband is noted to say that it is better for her to die at home and everyone else is also waiting for her to die. I believe that in this situation, there are some factors that come to play in making the best decision of treatment. For instance, the cultural background will affect, the level of education, the financial status of the family as well as the opinion of the patient (Roderick 1999). Therefore, it would be best to consider all these and make an informed decision on the best decision to undertake.

 

Annotated bibliography

Roderick E. McGrew,(1999). Encyclopaedia of Medical History. Macmillan, pp.134–5.

Roderick encyclopedia of medicine expounds on the various aspects of medicine that can affect home based care and hospitalized care. He continues to explain how chronic illnesses can best be treated in the hospitals rather than in the home based settings. According to a survey done in the late 90’s it showed that most people would prefer hospitalization due to presence of experts in the hospitals.

Waddington Ivan (1995). "The Development of Medical Ethics - A Sociological Analysis".

Medical History 19 (1): 36–51.

Medical ethics has been a major factor that has led to either better or inhuman practices by the doctors and other medical practitioners. It explains how the medical practitioners work has been influenced by the cultural background such that it affects their work. It explains that it is a very high time to stop thinking in the same way because things have changed and have become better and better as well as simpler.

Brailer, T; Thompson, D (2004). "Health IT strategic framework.". Department of Health and

Human Services.

Thompson details how technology has brought revolution in the medical sector which means that hospitals are in better capacity to deal with many types of illnesses that it could not deal with in the previous years. The mortality rate has reduced as has the life span of individuals due to better medications which is facilitated by better diagnosis equipment. He continues to state that the improvement has also been facilitated by better education for the physicians as well.

John Lindley (1989), Asian culture.e vol 1. p. 435. Longmans, Green, & Co; New and rev. ed

edition (1989)

John Linley in his article of 1989, describes to us about the various aspects of the asian culture have charged and how the culture are for the families and communities that practice traditional setting. He continues to say that among the Japanese, they value traditional very much and will practice it in the open without criticism and still have a medicinal belief of the traditional means and therefore do not follow the modernized system.

Neil Postman, (2010). Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology, New York:

Vintage.

Neil postman explains in his book that with the evolution of technology especially in this 21st Century, there has been a lot of culture erosion among our communities. In medicine world, traditional means of treatment have been slowly been ineffective and better means of treatment which are American style have proved to be better and more efficient.