Role of technology in long-term care

Using the South University Online Library and the Internet, find three articles describing the role technology will play in addressing the challenges ahead in long-term care. Summarize your findings and based on your learning, respond to the following questions:

• Which challenges in long-term care system remain unmet? Why?
• What changes can we expect to occur with the influx of baby boomers entering into the long-term care system?
• Why do you think technology is important to long-term care? Support your answer with relevant examples.
• What are the pros and cons of the implementation of technology in long-term care? Consider both providers and consumers while describing.
• How does technology improve the type and quality of care received by long-term care consumers?
• How important is the commitment by top management for the use of information technology in long-term care to be successful? Why?
• How can the challenges be proactively addressed as opposed to being reactive?

Legal and Ethical Issues: Case Study

Cathy Smith, an eighty-eight-year-old woman, was admitted to the emergency room from the nursing facility with acute respiratory distress. Although Smith does not have a living will, her daughter Rose, a health care professional, has the power of attorney (POA) to make her mother’s health decisions.

Smith suffers from end-stage Alzheimer’s disease and recently experienced congestive heart failure. Her condition is alarming. The doctors want to place her on life-support equipment, including a ventilator. Smith’s son, Andrew, agrees with the doctor’s decision. However, Rose states her mother would never want to be placed on life-support machines to prolong her life.

Analyze the scenario and answer the following questions:

• What are the autonomy-beneficial conflicts between Rose and Andrew related to placing their mother on life support in this case? Who has the right to make the decision on behalf of the client? Why?
• What are the ethical issues related to the competency and decision-making capacity of the client while making the health care decisions? Do these issues impact the services offered in long-term care? How?
• What are some of the critical issues related to informed consent? Who has the right to assume this responsibility? Why?