What is public health ethics for the geriatric community?

Abstract

Background: A growing ageing community puts additional demands on the public health system. This will contribute to ethical consequences for the health care sector. A public health ethics framework can contribute towards addressing the ethical challenges faced by the geriatric community.

Aim: This article intends to contribute to a public health ethics framework for the geriatric community from a South African perspective.

Setting: Twenty-two participants from six geriatric institutions, two each in the three provinces, participated in the research. The provinces are the Free State, Northern Cape and North West.

Methods: Fifteen statements were rated using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The statements were grouped into three indexes, namely what is ethics, what is public health ethics and what is public health ethics for the geriatric community?

Results: Ethical behaviour is observable not only from person to person but also through systems, processes and practices. The need is to understand how to apply ethical principles to the working environment. A public health ethic can be understood from applied, professional and social ethics.

Conclusion: Public health ethics is the application of health care principles through a professional ethic resulting in care and relationship-building. The core of what public health is should be the basis to identify a public health ethic where the focus is on the community and improvement of the quality of health and well-being of the community.

Contribution: No evidence of a public health ethics framework for the geriatric community could be identified in South Africa.