Walter is a resident in the same nursing home with Elva. He is a 78-year-old wid
ID: 3448595 • Letter: W
Question
Walter is a resident in the same nursing home with Elva. He is a 78-year-old widower who has been on antidepressants since the sudden death of his wife five years ago. He, too, is visited often by his daughter. The staff of the nursing home inadvertently threw out his dentures with the sheets while making his bed. He had a habit of leaving them on the bed, and although the staff usually noticed them, a new person failed to do so.
Since then, Walter has adamantly refused to have his teeth replaced. The nursing home administration is more than willing to fit him with a new set of dentures and to pay all costs. His daughter is very much in agreement with the administration that he should have his teeth replaced. They are all aware that his nutrition is suffering as well as his ability to be understood when he tries to talk.
Should Walter be allowed to continue without his dentures? What principles of ethics are involved? What should you do?
Explanation / Answer
Should Walter be allowed to continue without his dentures? What principles of ethics are involved? What should you do?
If Walter has been explained the implications of him not wearing dentures. His daughter has agreed that new dentures should be put. This implies, that informed consent has already been taken where, the facilities have explained the implications.
Secondly, if his dentures would not be changed, he would not be able to eat properly and this would impact his health as a result of nutritional deficit. This means, asking to put on dentures would comply with the principle of beneficence. Also, since, this would not cause any harm to the patient, it complies with the principle of non maleficence.
As for the principle of autonomy, decisions of the patients have to be respected in order to conduct any procedure with them. For this, the patient has to be in the state to take his decisions. Here, the patient is in the state to take decisions, as he is not mentally impaired. Further, the respect for autonomy should withhold of the consent or non consent is enough to be respected. In this case, if the patient’s respect for autonomy is complied to, it would fault with the other principles. Hence, Walter should not be allowed without his dentures. He has to be thoroughly explained and convinced, since, coercion cannot be a method.
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