The Role of Ethics in Emergency Care for the Elderly

Moosavi , Soolmaz

Volume 17 - Supplement of 11th Annual Iranian Congress of Medical Ethics IJMEHM 2024, 17 - Supplement of 11th Annual Iranian Congress of Medical Ethics : 1-2 | Back to browse issues page

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Moosavi S. The Role of Ethics in Emergency Care for the Elderly. IJMEHM 2024; 17 (S1) :1-2
URL: http://ijme.tums.ac.ir/article-1-6953-en.html

The Role of Ethics in Emergency Care for the Elderly

Soolmaz Moosavi ^*

Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, school of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: (903 Views)

The elderly population is rapidly increasing, and as a result, the demand for emergency services for this age group is also growing. Due to their specific physical and mental conditions, the elderly are exposed to numerous ethical issues and challenges when receiving emergency services. These issues are significant because their physical and mental conditions can prevent them from making decisions independently and achieving informed consent. The aim of this article is to examine the ethical challenges associated with the care of the elderly in the emergency department and to provide suggestions for improving this care. This educational narrative review article examines and analyzes ethical challenges in elderly care in the emergency department using reliable sources and articles between 2005 and 2024. Keywords included "medical ethics," "elderly care," and "emergency," and sources were extracted from reliable scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Ethical challenges in elderly care in the emergency department include maintaining the independence of the elderly, obtaining informed consent, ensuring privacy and confidentiality, decision-making at the end of life, observing justice and fairness, maintaining honesty, providing psychological and emotional support, offering compassion and empathy, upholding professional principles of education and awareness, communicating effectively with the family, managing pain, and ensuring patient comfort. Although developed countries have long faced the issue of aging, in recent years, the growth rate of aging in developing countries has accelerated. These countries face major challenges in elderly care due to inadequate infrastructure and rapid demographic changes. Ethical challenges in caring for elderly patients in emergency rooms are among the most important issues that healthcare teams face. These challenges are exacerbated by the physical and mental sensitivity of the elderly, the complexities of treatment, and the need for rapid decision-making. Adherence to ethical principles, along with ongoing education of caregivers, can improve the quality of care for the elderly in emergency situations and prevent physical and mental harm. Therefore, in addition to knowledge and skills, caring for the elderly requires adherence to ethical principles and humane behavior. By following these principles, a sense of trust and peace can be fostered in the elderly. Some suggested solutions include educating and raising awareness among healthcare teams, strengthening communication with family and legal representatives, using ethical standards, encouraging the elderly to prepare a medical will, and utilizing psychological and physical assessments.

Keywords: Aging, Ethics, Emergency, Ethical care

Full-Text [PDF 354 kb] (275 Downloads)

Type of Study: Poster | Subject: Health Ethics Congress (11th) - Poster Presentation
Received: 2025/06/29 | Revised: 2026/01/12 | Accepted: 2024/12/23 | Published: 2024/12/23