Cure and care
Cure and care are central concepts for the healthcare sector. Cure states for some technical actions, methods, and approaches aimed at improving the physical condition of a patient, prolonging his/her life, and resolving some problems. At the same time, care is a more abstract and holistic phenomenon, implying patient satisfaction and comfort from treatment, and focused on cultivating positive changes in the quality of life. Both these elements are critical for nursing and the provision of the demanded interventions to the patient. Combining cure and care, specialists can attain better outcomes and guarantee a patient feels safe, protected, and demonstrates signs of recovery.
Basic care: Nutrition, hydration, shelter, human interaction. Moral obligation
People are obliged to provide basic care to all other individuals, including nutrition, hydration, shelter, and interaction. First, it comes from the moral values which guide the functioning of society and introduce the framework for cooperation between people. Second, from the religious perspective, people should love each other and themselves and provide basic care to manifest their warm feelings (USCCB, 2018). Moreover, from the ethical principles, it is vital to guarantee that a person does not suffer from the absence of shelter or nutrients, as modern society values humanistic values and accepts the critical importance of every human being. For this reason, basic care should be viewed as the fundamental aspect of interaction and cooperation between people.
Swallow test, when is it indicated
The swallow test is prescribed for a patient if she/she has problems with swallowing, with might indicate some severe conditions or complications. The fact is that swallowing is a learned behavior, and usually, it should not cause problems to individuals (Cioffi, 2018). A swallowing test can be performed in emergency departments and might also presuppose using thickened water to make the task easier (Cioffi, 2018). However, if a client does not pass this test, the question of medically assisted nutrition might emerge as the inability to swallow or problems with it mean that food cannot be transported to the stomach (Cioffi, 2018). It will result in issues with nutrition and other undesired effects, including possible death. For this reason, a swallowing test is an important diagnosing method.
When medically assisted N/H is indicated. Enteral Nutrition, Parenteral Nutrition
Medically assisted N/H is used when a patient cannot consume food or water needed for his/her survival.
Enteral nutrition presupposes that the gastrointestinal tract remains intact and can be used to deliver nutrients (“Nutrition and hydration,” n.d.). A nasojejunal tube (NJ) is a thin, soft tube going to the stomach through the nose and ending in the jejunum (Carter, 2020). A nasogastric tube (NG) going down through the esophagus and into the stomach (Carter, 2020). Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) presupposes placing a flexible tube through the abdominal wall into the stomach (Carter, 2020).
Parenteral nutrition implies feeding a patient intravenously, bypassing the traditional digestion process (Carter, 2020).
Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) means that no other nutrition is acquired using other routes (Carter, 2020).
Partial parenteral nutrition (PPN) states for the way of nurturing a patient which is partially enteric (Carter, 2020).
Bioethical analysis of N/H
From the bioethical perspective, N/H should follow the basic principle. It is critical to ensure that its use offers a reasonable hope for the benefit and does not impose an excessive burden on a client. It means that expected outcomes should outweigh suffering and possible problems associated with the use of this method (“Nutrition and hydration,” n.d.). Supporting the life using this method is critical and helps patients; however, there are two exceptions:
N/H can no longer be absorbed or assimilated.
In the case of a dying patient, N/H becomes an excessive burden (“Nutrition and hydration,” n.d.)
In such a way, the ethics of N/H depends on benefits provided to a patient, his/her current state, and demands.
References
Carter, A. N. (2020). To what extent does clinically assisted nutrition and hydration have a role in the care of dying people?Journal of Palliative Care, 35(4), 209–216. Web.
Cioffi, A. (2018).BIO 603 3 24 18 [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). (2018). Ethical and religious directives for catholic health care services. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Nutrition and hydration [PDF document]. (n.d.).