Older adults in the US continue to increase and hence the need for government intervention programs to facilitate adequate and affordable healthcare for the population. Similarly, this is a global initiative by world governments and hence the need for healthcare providers to evaluate the perceptions of geriatric patients with regards to the newly implemented policies aimed at providing better access to healthcare ( Mazzola, 2015) . This essay aims at discussing an interview with a geriatric patient covering specific topics as well as identifying their position on the issues based on their attitudes and body language.
The first topic of inquiry involved the patient's beliefs and perceptions about the care of the elderly. While there exist differences in the maintenance of individual dignity through various forms of care during the old age, cultural differences among countries play a crucial role in the attitude and perception of the same on the elderly. Focusing on a man of Italian descent, the investigation revealed that he was confident and comfortable with the issue of such avenues of care as institutionalized care. This is based on the fact that he was diagnosed with a terminal illness which has significantly affected his health and the psychological health of his family. He thus finds elderly care in general beneficial and forthcoming.
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According to scholars, hospice care provides care for elderly individuals diagnosed with terminal illnesses such as the geriatric patient who was interviewed ( Hospice, 2019) . The initiative involves the end of life care for similar individuals, and hence, the introduction of this question during the interview. The interviewee remains composed and maintained eye contact during this period as he explained his preference for hospice care as it focuses on the holistic care of the individual as well as that of his family members. Despite having lived with cancer for several years, the patient admitted that he was comfortable experiencing home care during his last six months.
The next topic involved interviewing the patient regarding the introduction of palliative care in Italy in 2010 and their thoughts on the effectiveness of the initiative since then ( Italian Legislation , 2017). While this individual was diagnosed with cancer at 55 years and now aged 60 years, the effect had been servers on his family; specifically his children. Inquiring about palliative care, thus provoked some uncomfortable emotions as the patient could be seen slowly shifting from his seat while avoiding eye contact. The patient further explained the severity of the issue in Italy and the fact that it had not been highly regarded until its introduction in 2010.
Numerous households have since then experienced the benefits of palliative care as it shifted its focus from medical beaded interventions to seeking to improve the quality of life as an illness is considered a destabilizing factor of the human experience. While the patient explained this, however, his body language had changed as he seemed more relaxed and comfortable with the topic under discussion. Further research by “ The next Italian” (2018) revealed that individuals had seen the benefits of palliative care on an individual basis and their families as well through the centralization of efforts on the improvement of the quality of life until death occurs naturally.
Additionally, the next topic of inquiry with the patient involved the patient's acceptance of westernized medicine. During this phase, the patient described the issue of his cultural background MD the fact that being a Catholic limited him to accepting westernized medicine until the point at which he and his family moved to the US. Research suggests that there exists limited public information with regards to end of life care and medical interventions associated with the same based on the strong cultural and religious background. Additionally, there exists inadequate training and communication between public health practitioners which breeds the disadvantage of ignorance with regards to westernized medicine. However, the patient seemed comfortable with the issue despite expressing specific reservations.
Conversely, the right to self-determination has stirred significant debates over the years. Based on the variables involved in the right to self-determination in healthcare such as the "do not resuscitate" order, the concept has received criticism as it prevents other forms of medical interventions that may save a patient's life ( Dzeng et al., 2015) . Upon inquiring about this, the patient revealed that he strongly supported the right of self-determination based on the fact that he endorsed DNRs. He had given both his family and healthcare provider strict DNR instructions should his heart stop beating.
In conclusion, the interview revealed that despite the strong religious and cultural beliefs exercised by individuals of different cultures, their residence in the US has allowed them to identify with certain aspects of healthcare. For example, while the interviewee expressed strong support for DNR, the text finds that he was comfortable with westernized medicine as well as all forms of healthcare provided to the elderly. Additionally, despite the challenges experienced by palliative care especially in Italy, he patient supported that he was comfortable with the idea as well as hospice care and any interventions by the government aimed at improving his quality of life during his end of life period.
References
Dzeng, E., Colaianni, A., Roland, M., Chander, G., Smith, T. J., Kelly, M. P., ... & Levine, D. (2015). Influence of institutional culture and policies on do-not-resuscitate decision making at the end of life. JAMA internal medicine , 175 (5), 812-819.
Hospice Care for Elderly Seniors: Is There Hospice Care Near Me? (2019, August 6). Retrieved from https://www.seniorliving.org/hospice/
Italian Legislation on Palliative Care: Ministri degli Infermi. (2017, January 24). Retrieved from http://www.camilliani.org/en/italian-legislation-on-palliative-care/
Mazzola, P. (2015). Attitudes towards End-of-Life Care in Italy: the Need for Education. Palliat Med Care , 2 (1), 1-7.
The next Italian challenge: Primary palliative care development. (2018, March 6). Retrieved from https://eapcnet.wordpress.com/2018/03/07/the-next-italian-challenge-primary-palliative-care-development/
