In five pages this case study discusses Andrew who is a senior citizen on life support with his only known living relative an incompetent adult. The philosophies of Rawls, Mill, and Kant are examined in a consideration of what would be the most appropriate ethical alternatives in this situation. Nine sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: CC6_KSnursEthDec.rtf
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man with few relatives, no health insurance and little chance for survival is occupying a bed that could be used for a more profitable patient. Andrew is not eligible
for Medicare; his only known relative is his 29-year-old mentally retarded daughter who is not capable of making decisions for her father. Andrew is on life support and also
cannot make current decisions; he has made no prior ones in the form of a living will or other such instrument. The hospital
is faced with continuing the aggressive care that Andrew has received in the 36 hours he has been in the hospitals care, or alternately choosing to remove life support to
leave Andrew to his own devices for surviving or not. The likelihood is that he will not. Appropriate Solutions Why a 68-year-old
would not be eligible for Medicare is unclear, for it should cover the major costs of hospitalization for anyone over the age of 65. If Andrew truly is not
eligible for Medicare, then he is certain to be eligible for Medicaid, the federal program designed to "catch" all of those who fall through the cracks of Medicare. The
hospital quite naturally is concerned about the cost of continuing to provide care for Andrew, but it can be assured that there is a federal program available that will cover
the major portion - if not all - of the costs of Andrews care. Costs aside, the hospital also needs to reach a
decision about how much additional care it will provide for Andrew. There comes a point in life support that additional input not only provides no real service to the
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