Dilemmas in providing patient-focused care.

The provision of patient-focused care to the elderly is often fraught with many ethical and challenging dilemmas. However, for health care professionals, these dilemmas can be magnified when the chronic disease is accompanied by dementia. Such was the case of Mrs. A. The multidisciplinary team of a 36-bed acute care unit identified the challenges they experienced while caring for a 65-year-old female with multiple medical problems: diabetes; hypertension; cardiovascular disease; end stage renal disease and dementia probably due to cardiovascular and metabolic causes. Mrs. A. was admitted to start hemodialysis treatments. Her care was complicated by frequent outbursts of verbal and physical aggression towards staff. Mrs. A. was deemed incapable with regard to personal care and property. Her son believed she required long-term placement, and control of her property was assumed by the Public Guardian and Trustee. Mrs. A. vehemently objected to this total loss of control. This paper will describe how the multidisciplinary team implemented a variety of strategies to help staff intervene more effectively in meeting the care needs of Mrs. A.