Final paperDavid WhiteheadSoc313: Social Implications of medical issuesInstructor MussmannJanuary 11, 2015

When people suffer from illnesses that are fatal it is best to explain to the family the care that needs to be provided for them. If you have a family member with an illness, it is best to find out about the resources available. Ella has been sick and is requiring medical help. She insist on using alternative and complementary medical practices, but her family wants her to use modern medicine. Her husband, who insists to make decision on her behalf, as he is the head of the family, opts for traditional practices. There are alternatives for her if she is discharged home to receive treatment there. With her current situation with family members; the question arises will she be able to recover and get the proper care because of all the illnesses in the family. Although the family members have issues of their own at home. Stress related to her familys medical issues (nephew with leukemia, brother with HIV, and her fathers perspective that they are all crazy!) Ella is expected by the doctor to go home and receive care from there. The family members are thus expected to provide her with all the care needed in order to enhance her recovery. With the other family members with their own problems will she get the proper care she needs?Ellas husband wants the family traditions to be followed in her medications. He wants a therapy that will adequately provide a permanent cure and relief. The husband challenging the use of biomedical to traditional poses a great task to physicians and healers of any tradition. In dealing with Ellas husband, the physician may apply certain guidelines. The physician should analyze the discrepancies between the patient-family goals and the biomedical goals. All the difficulties that may relate to miscommunication or communication style should be addressed that cut across cultural boundaries Ella wishes for the use of a complementary system in her treatment. Complementary medicines unite the best practices of both worlds. (Helen E Sheehan; Barrett P Brento, 2002)

Home medical equipment allows seniors, persons with disabilities or chronic health issues, and individuals recovering from an accident, surgery or illness to stay in their homes, often at a much more affordable cost than an a brief stay in a hospital or a longer stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility.( New England Journal of Medicine) Everyone in the family has their own illnesses and problems. These are the family members that are supposed to take care of Ella. The other family members will feel that they also need the special care as they too are undergoing difficult situations in their lives. Palliative care is the best option for Ella as its most suitable for people experiencing stress, pain or other conditions caused by a serious illness. This care is appropriate at any of the stages of serious illness and patients usually are given together with the treatment prescribed to cure the patient. (John Arras, 1995) From the scenario, one can truly say that each member of the family does whatever they think is best for them without considering the repercussions or other family members. It seems like all the family members are irresponsible and there is no one to guide them into doing what is right. With Ella coming home and requiring special care from all family members, this will indeed be a hard task. The other family members will too feel that they also need the special care as they too are undergoing difficult situations in their lives. All the above factors will cause conflicts and differences among the family members and make everyones situation even worse. All these aspects will derail Ellas progress in her therapy. They will indeed have an impact on their social and psychological perspective on their basis of life. Home care enables one to have a more control of their lives and care and provides a supportive and comfortable atmosphere that helps to reduce stress and anxiety. The home care also with palliative team enables one to go on with their daily lives while at the same time improving their ability to continue their therapy. It helps one to better understand their conditions and the treatment choices available.Behavioral, psychosocial, and societal risk factors have been implicated in the development and progression of chronic diseases. (Schneiderman, 2004) The extended family plays an important role in the whole therapy process of Ella. They are the immediate people to offer therapy care to her and in view of this, their action on the situation will indeed have an impact on the situation. The neighborhood is also like part of her family as they live in the same surroundings. High chances are that the extended family and the neighbors may not feel it as right to have Ella be taken care of at home. This is because of the circumstances surrounding her family members who are supposed to take care of her. Their view would be that the family members might have a negative impact on the treatments of Ella and thus derail her recovery. Health, illness, and disability can be examined through the lens of social science, in terms of how they impact individuals and groups within society. According to Dr. Anthony Giddens, a professor of sociology at the London School of Economics, "One of [medical] sociologists' main concerns is understanding the experience of illnesshow being sick, chronically ill, or disabled is experienced by sick persons and by those with whom they interact" (Giddens, Deneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2011, p. 407). Chronic conditions require ongoing management over a period of years or decades and cover a wide range of health problems that go beyond the basic chronic illness, such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma.There are many problems to be solved and with a patient at home requiring care, this will make things even worse. They may understand what Ella is going through but may not be able to help her appropriately. Everyone in the family requires some type of care. Lucy has a genetic predisposition for developing substance abuse largely because of what her family has experienced. Her Uncle Sam is a good example of a family member who is suffering from substance abuse and, if treated appropriately could possibly be diagnosed as suffering from mental illness as well. The Miller family has a history of illness and disease, which can increase substance abuse as each family has to deal with their own emotional and physical stress. The situation has indeed changed the whole familys perspective of life. There are many problems to be solved and with a patient at home requiring care, this will make things even worse. Each member of the family minds about their affairs without being responsible for others in relation to the actions they show. This will indeed hinder a positive development of their lives. As everyone in the family requires the same care, their position on the situation may shift. They may understand what Ella is going through but may not be able to help her appropriately. However, with the necessary social agencies around the community, the situation may change and have a positive impact. One of the concerns I would have, however, is this: as I got older, my mental ability may become such that I need someone else to begin to make decisions for me. It would appear that my spouse would just continue my natural cures treatment, but if my spouse were to die before me, then perhaps a child who did not share the same affection for natural cures would become the decision maker. It is for this reason that I would take the time to write out my wishes regarding my care and make it legal by securing a health care power of attorney and a living will. Lastly, I would not want my family to experience any division or angst during the final years of my life; therefore, I would sit down with all of them and express my wishes for my care. I would work hard to help each of them understand how I felt and why I felt that way; hopefully, this would provide a level of comfort and peace as I continued on for as long as I could.

References

Helen E Sheehan; Barrett P Brento (2002) Global perspectives on complementary and alternative medicineLanders, S. Why Health Care Is Going Home, New England Journal of Medicine, October 20, 2010.Atlas, S., Matthews, J.R., Fritsvold, E., & Vinall, P.E., (2014). Social implications of chronic illness & disability. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.John Arras (1995) Bringing the hospital home : ethical and social implications of high-tech home careSchneiderman, N. (2004). Psychosocial, behavioral, and biological aspects of chronic diseases. Current directions in Psychological Science (Wiley-Blackwell), 13(6), 247-251. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00318.x. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.tehead