But when faced with a crucial decision that will affect the future health and well-being of your loved one and yourself? What happens if this decision must be made during a crisis? For family caregivers, having to make a decision during a crisis is not a matter of “if,” but “when.”
There are things that all of us can and should do to be ready for an emergency. But no one can truly prepare for a crisis. If we could, it wouldn’t be a crisis. There is almost never a “right” answer. Faced with a set of not-so-good choices, we do the best we can. We need to accept the decision and move on.Crises take a toll on caregivers as well as on the care recipient and the rest of the family, so it’s important to think about the impact of the decision on everyone involved.
Family caregivers need to remember that caregiving is not a static enterprise; it’s a fluid enterprise. They have to be willing to look down the road and to explore contingency plans. The more people have these conversations , the more they will be able to prepare — financially, legally, logistically, and emotionally.”
Some people become panic during a crisis while others might withdraw. Some stay calm, cool and collected during the emergency itself but then fall apart later on. By recognizing your own characteristics, you will be better able to plan for any future emergency. This may mean that you ask someone you trust to be there for you, should an emergency arise.
When dealing with a medical emergency, it is better designating someone you trust to act as another set of ears to ensure that someone objective hears what the doctors say. When anxious, people don’t take in information. Someone who is not emotionally attached to the situation should be given the assignment just to listen and to help the family digest the information.
There are many real life situations other than medical, necessitating taking decisions at crisis.Downsizing at a short notice may result in financial crisis to many.Sometimes very capable
senior experienced staff are thrown out of compulsion.
To save the prestige of the family undesirable weddings take place .For fear of losing a seat, a student is forced to take an undesirable course in some college, not to his liking.
We know that hasty decisions may not be correct.But we can't avoid situations in which decision has to be taken immediately.In olden days they used to seek divine intervention of choosing red or white flowers, choosing a packet of vibuthi or kumkum ( with so many unethical practices imbedded therein)
Normally the following real time event is quoted
A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other not. Only one child played on the unused and some eight children were playing on the operational track.
If the train is allowed to move in the operational track, all the eight children will die.If the train is allowed to change the course, the lone child will die, but that child is doing the right thing in choosing a safe place to play.Now sacrificing one child is better than sacrificing 8 children-and if we go by number ,we may save many wrong doing children and sacrifice the only right doing child.Is he to be punished for choosing a safe place to play?
But if we think rationally, it would dawn on us that the kids playing on the operational track are aware of the danger and there is every possibility of the children running away on hearing the siren of the train.
Now, If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never expects that a train could come over on the unused track!
Further, that track was not in use,unsupervised and might not have been in use because of unsafety also. If the train was diverted to such a track, we may put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in our attempt to save a few kids thinking that the train may run over them, we might end up sacrificing hundreds of people in the train also.
Soon after my marriage I came to the village house of my husband's grandparents where my husband's grandfather, a veteran in Sanskrit was the head of the family. Just three days after my marriage he called me and he shooted a question" kutty, Come here. There is a question. Your husband is 60 and your son is just 23. Both are seriously ill.You have only one injection that can save only one person, whom you will opt to save?My MIL who was standing nearby was too angry about the inauspiciousness and insensitivity of the question directed to a new vadhu of the family. But I had to answer. I boldly said"Though the lives of both are important, I would like my son to survive.Because he is young and has to live for many more years.I have to be satisfied with 40 years of happy married life and allow my son to survive"
Though it was a hypothetical question, it made me think on so many occasions and helped me to take many decisions at crisis.
Sometimes the caregiver feels guilty if the decision goes wrong.He/she has to face arrows of questions.Sometimes decisions taken even after careful thought for days and months prove to be a failure.
Sometimes we have to take decisions knowing fully well that it may harm someone.Mahabharatha abounds in such instances.Lord Krishna takes such crucial decisions.He allows the young Abhimanyu to die entangled in Chakravyuham just to instigate Arjuna and make him fight with revenge,
He takes the decision of victimizing Ghatothkacha just to make Karna use his deadly weapon towards him and save Arjuna in future.
Doctors have to take certain decisions as the condition of the patient demands though it may not be liked by the relatives.A father has to allot more funds to protect his physically challenged child at the expense of other normal children.Pilots and drivers have to take last minute decisions to save the passengers,sometimes endangering their own lives or the lives of a few.
Such decisions are very common at army level.
The decision maker is always at the recieving end, that is receiving abuses and is more often accused by the affected as well as onlookers, who are not willing to lift their little finger but ever stand in front to pass comments.
There is no right or wrong decisions. It depends on perceptions. A decision seemingly correct at the present situation may prove to be wrong in the long run and vice versa also is true.Certain undesirable decisions become blessing in disguise and the pleasnt decisions may prove to be harmful also.
Right decisions are not always popular.
Popular decisions need not be Right.
Jayasala 42
__._,_.___
Posted by: Balasubramanian K <balu.coimbatore@gmail.com>
Visit Your Group
• Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use
Decisions taken at crisis
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire