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Health Advocacy Ethics – Conflict of Interest? Or Important Service?
A recent conversation with a handful of knowledgeable people, people I respect a great deal, yielded two different outcomes – either a loud “yes, of course!!” or a loud “no, no way!” So I want to know what YOU think. As a prelude to the story – the question I will ask you at the end is: Should Gwen become Mrs. Smith’s healthcare proxy? Can she ETHICALLY make that shift? (We are not asking a legal question here – only a question of ethics.) Mrs. Smith is 90 years old and until recently was quite healthy. She is alone; her husband died many years ago, and they never had any children. She has a few nieces and nephews, but hasn’t seen or heard from any of them in years. She lives in the country and has no neighbors nearby. Even her close friends from church have all passed away. Gwen has been Mrs. Smith’s health advocate for several years now, accompanying Mrs. Smith to doctor’s appointments, lab tests, and whatever was needed for her care. About three years ago, Mrs. Smith was hospitalized for a brief time; Gwen sat by her bedside and was a liaison between the hospital staff and Gwen for the duration. Over these years they have become very close. Mrs. Smith trusts and values Gwen’s opinions more than anyone else on earth and thinks of her almost as the daughter she never had. Now Mrs. Smith has asked Gwen to help her make the healthcare decisions that she will designate in her advance directives. Included is a request to Gwen to become her proxy – that is, the person who will, if Mrs. Smith becomes incapacitated, make any decisions that regard end-of-life care on Mrs. Smith’s behalf. (“Proxy” is one term used – others could be agent, representative or power of attorney.) Gwen, having been Mrs. Smith’s advocate for so long, knows Mrs. Smith and her end-of-life wishes better than anyone. But she must give thought to the ethical and legal considerations before she agrees. And that’s where I am asking your opinion today. Remember the…