Ethical Dilemmas in Deciding and Making Care Service Plans : Door-to-door interviews with care managers

抄録

Care managers are expected to play a role as the linkage between the needs of frail elderly people and provision of the necessary care service. Making a care service plan is not only package making for care service but it needs decision making from both the elderly and his/her family. The aim of this study was to collect and analyze up-to-date information from the fresh knowledge of care supporters who take part in the care management of the elderly and to investigate the ethical dilemmas that arise during the decision making required in care service planning. As a result of the study, the following dilemmas have become clear. 1. The need for the autonomy of the individual vs. the necessity of help, 2. Disagreement between the elderly and their family to the care service plan, 3. Continuing home care vs. entering an institution, 4. Conflict among different professionals: medicalization of care services, 5. Conflict among the organizations, 6. Information offered and the confidentiality in care management, and 7. Conflict with the organization care managers belong to.