Old Town Nursing Home Case Study

Mr. Leroy is an 80 year old male new patient at Old Town Nursing Home (OTNH) with a large open wound on his left foot. This wound was present upon his arrival at OTNH. Mr. Leroy suffered multiple strokes in the past, which left him incapable of making informed decisions for himself. The only family member present at OTNH is Mr. Leroy’s son, who is a veterinarian. The son insists that the nurses, Director of Nursing, Dr. Keene and the Nursing Home Administrator support the use of sterile honey and maggots on the wound as a treatment measure. Dr. Keene affirms that kind of treatment is unapproved. He continues to stands by his decision after having lengthy conversations with Mr. Leroy’s son and the Nursing Home Administrator. Also, Dr. Keene deemed it more important to evaluate circulation and identify other underlying medical issues before successful healing could be achieved. Mr.

Mr. Leroy had the wound when he came into the nursing home. Mr. Leroy’s son is not allowing Dr. Keene to treat the wound based on his medical professional expertise. The son is endangering his father by taking him out of the nursing home to treat him at home. Also, Dr. Keene’s adamant refusal may be viewed as a form of non-beneficence. Dr. Keene is not acting with compassion in his decision- making.

Your Role

I am the Patient Advocate. It is important to ensure Mr. Leroy patient’s rights are not compromised by his family or by his health care providers. It is important for the nursing home administration to consider his wishes through the decision making process of the individual he has chosen to look after his best interests. The disadvantage of being a Patient Advocate is that it is challenging to bridge together communicates between family members and healthcare professionals who may not agree on treatment. The patient advocate must work under challenging situations to make the patient’s desires known.

Organizational Strengths and