Ethical and Legal Issues in Geriatric Rehabilitation: 2019 Update (2024)
Presented by Ron Scott
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This course overviews salient ethicolegal issues facing health professionals who practice and/or teach geriatric rehabilitation and facilitate optimal health and lifestyle maintenance for their geriatric clientele. The current practice environment is fraught with litigation potential. Practitioners need to be cognizant of the multi-level laws (constitutional mandates, statutes, case law, and administrative regulations) affecting them and their geriatric patients and clients, both to self-protect against avoidable liability exposure, and to best serve their patients and clients under care. As fiduciaries, geriatric rehabilitation professionals are charged by law and by professional ethics codes to put patients’ and clients’ best interests first. The managed care model may make this obligation more difficult to fulfill, as geriatric and other clinical providers are expected to generate more and more revenue for their employing entities. Ethicolegal duties, however, do not change to accommodate managed health care delivery. This course is targeted toward intermediate to advanced-level professionals and professional students in physical, occupational and speech therapy, nursing and, for geriatric recreational athletes, athletic training.
Meet your instructor
Ron Scott
Dr. Scott is a health law attorney-mediator and educator. He is a faculty member at Rocky Mountain University, the University of Montana, Rehab Essentials, and MedBridge Inc. Dr. Scott’s principal teaching interests include healthcare ethics, law, management, and policy. He developed two widely utilized health professional…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Introduction
This initial session provides a disclaimer and introduces health professionals to the objectives of this short course. It also previews key ethico-legal concepts in geriatric rehabilitation and health maintenance through self-assessment questions. This initial session orients participants to the course and teaches the ethico-legal rights and duties of rehabilitation professionals at all levels.
2. Basic Ethicolegal Concepts and Practice Expectations
This section provides coverage of the ethicolegal milieu in which geriatric rehab professionals work. Topics include rehabilitation professionals serving as advisors to geriatric clients and other professionals; seeking legal advice; alternative dispute resolution; ethical and legal issues in ageism; ethical decision-making and core values; and pro bono service expectations.
3. Key Federal Statutes
Primary and specialty geriatric health professionals must be cognizant of key federal statutes impacting their client base. This section overviews these laws in brief, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, Oregon Death with Dignity law (and federal response to it, and similar state laws), and the Patient Self-Determination Act.
4. Elder Abuse/Neglect Reporting: Liability Risk Management
This final section addresses elder abuse and neglect, covering: physical, psychological, and financial abuse situations. A case study is included in this chapter.