America's Aging Population
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New definitions are needed for dealing with America's aging population. In debunking ageism and redefining the rights of the elderly, there is a dire need to center the care of the aging within an ethical space. To work well with the elderly, counselors must have respect, patience, and a high regard for their aging clients. The Middle Eastern scholar Haim (1994) suggests that a problem solving approach to the old must be abandoned and replaced by a social constructionist approach. If contemporary culture can grow more comfortable with the reality of death itself than there will also exist additional ease with the elderly. Robinson & Gross (1986) need to weigh in the factor of therapeutic intent against a more specialized cost-benefit ratio. Elderly patients must be treated with dignity, must be administered to with informed consent, no coercion and deception, with confidentiality and privacy and an accurate reportage of events surrounding their treatment. As the world grows increasingly technological, graduate programs are beginning to respond by offering more formal training in ethics for future counselors. Earley (1986) insists upon the need to incorporate environmental concerns in a more widely-based approach to treating the elderly's special needs. Fitting (1986) contends that there is a contemporary struggle between the aging patient's desire for autonomy and counselor beneficence. Attempts must be made to avoid either personal or legal paternalism.
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6, p. 331). Counselors are in need of additional training in various research methodologies so that alternate approaches can be explored. Remler contends that, in order for a counselor to make effective choices, "one must be able to understand and to analyze methods, arguments and conclusions" or one cannot be considered a professional counselor (Remler as quoted in Robinson & Gross, 1986, p. 331).
Counselors wishing to be thought of as scientists or researchers must prioritize their patients. After a counselor is considered competent, four issues of ethical concern must not be avoided. Whether working in the area of clinical studies, counselor training or evaluation, these four areas of ethical need must be reviewed: (1) informed consent, (2) coercion and deception, (3) confidentiality and privacy, and (4) reporting of events (Robinson & Gross, 1986, p. 331).
The elderly as well as all other patients should be able to decide whether or not they wish to be treated as a subject of a study. The American Association for Counseling and Development (AACD) issued guidelines in 1981 formatted as Ethical Standards. In this professional tract, the AACD asserts that its members should strive to "enhance the dignity, worth,
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Approximate Word count = 3164
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page)
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