Deciding for others: surrogates struggling with health care decisions

Aging Matters Through the Years: A Retrospective

The goal of the Aging Matters column is to address important issues related to geropsychiatry and the well-being of older adults. This article offers reflections on columns from the past 15 years and how the aging process has changed in issues related to aging and technology, aging healthfully, end-of-life issues, caregivers for older adults, and growing old in American society. To promote successful aging, we need to hear stories of what it is like to grow old in America. We also need research to better understand the aging process and what is needed for successful aging. In addition, we need policies and resources that help ensure well-trained caregivers who can protect vulnerable older adults and help them age healthfully. Stories of individuals, research, and health care policies need to be connected to create meaningful changes within the health care system. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(10), 7-11.].

Ethical frameworks for surrogates' end-of-life planning experiences

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing body of knowledge about surrogate decision making, we know very little about the use of ethical frameworks (including ethical theories, principles, and concepts) to understand surrogates' day-to-day experiences in end-of-life care planning for incapacitated adults.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

This qualitative systematic review was conducted to identify the types of ethical frameworks used to address surrogates' experiences in end-of-life care planning for incapacitated adults as well as the most common themes or patterns found in surrogate decision-making research.

FINDINGS

Seven research papers explicitly identified ethical theories, principles, or concepts, such as autonomy, substituted judgment, and best interest standards as guidelines for the research. Surrogate decision making themes included the responsibilities and goals of being a surrogate, factors influencing surrogates' decision making, outcomes for surrogates, and an overarching theme of "wanting to do the right thing" for their loved one and/or themselves.

DISCUSSION

Understanding the complexity of surrogates' experiences of end-of-life care planning is beyond the scope of conventional ethical frameworks.

CONCLUSION

Ethical frameworks that address individuality and contextual variations related to decision making may more appropriately guide surrogate decision-making research that explores surrogates' end-of-life care planning experiences.