Localized Practice and Ethical Dilemma of Social Work in Hospice Care: Taking the Casework of Terminal Cancer Patient as an Example / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

The positive role of hospice social work in responding to the needs of terminal cancer patients and their families has been highlighted, and has also triggered discussions on localized ethical issues. Taking the casework of terminal cancer patients as an example, this paper analyzed the specific manifestations and causes of ethical dilemmas in the practice of hospice social work, and then provided ideas for coping with them. It was found that hospice care casework workers face four ethical dilemmas, including quality of life dilemmas, emotional boundaries dilemmas, power relationship dilemmas, and cultural respect dilemmas. Service managers can enhance the ethical issue response ability of front-line workers by improving the collaborative service mechanism between medical and social institutions, constructing a whole-process professional supervision system, conducting skills training for caring social workers, and expanding patient and family life education services. The ethical dilemmas in hospice social work service are localized, and will affect the service effect. The response to these issues requires the joint participation of the government, society, universities, hospitals, and front-line social workers.