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The Ethical Dilemma of Social Service Employees Working with Senior Citizens
HRUŠKOVÁ, Veronika
The subject of the bachelor thesis is Ethical dilemmas of employees in social services when working with seniors. The work is divided into a theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part is divided into three chapters. The first chapter focuses on social services, and describes what social services are, who receives them and what their principles are. It also defines who a social services employee is and the prerequisites and principles for social services employees. The chapter additionally lists the behavioral principles when dealing with clients and problems which may occur when working with seniors. The second chapter targets ethics and dilemmas which arise in social work. It addresses questions such as what are ethics and morality, what are ethical principles and what is the ethical code. Furthermore, it describes ethical dilemmas, how to handle them and their possible consequences. Last but not least, it also mentions the burnout syndrome, which is a significant component of every exacting profession and needs to be taken into account so that one may avoid it. The third, last chapter focuses on psychological hygiene, i.e. means of relaxing and resting. Psychological hygiene is essential, and the same goes for professional and regular supervision at the workplace, both of which can prevent the burnout syndrome. The goal of the work was to map the methods used by social services employees for solving ethical dilemmas arising from their work with seniors. To obtain the necessary information, we used a qualitative study via a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The primary research question was: "How do social services employees approach ethical dilemmas which arise during their work with seniors, and what affects their subsequent behavior?" To answer the primary research question, we designated three partial research questions with subsequent sub-questions, which were answered by respondents during an interview. The research sample comprised four social services employees at the G-centrum Tábor retirement home, specifically two women and two men. Respondents were selected by a targeted selection. The research uncovered the most frequent dilemmas the employees faced and had to resolve. These dilemmas were not only related to their clients, but also often to their family members, who are sometimes intertwined with the arising ethical dilemmas. This makes resolving such problems even more difficult. Respondents claimed that they do their best to follow professional conduct and to prevent damage or harm to their clients, ensuring that the clients continue to trust them. Their practice and years of experience help significantly in this regard. Of course, solution of arising dilemmas also relies on their common sense and good intuition, which they say is often correct. They are aware that their decisions are influenced by several factors, ranging from physical ones such as tiredness and exhaustion to psychological ones such as stress, mood and others. Still, they do their best to ensure that their judgment is not impaired and that the situation is resolved to the client's satisfaction. Each of them relies on some form of relaxation, which allows them to charge-up and takes their minds off stressful situations at work. These included biking, hiking, reading books or spending time with their grandchildren. It is important to know how to relax. Respondents agreed that they have ample time for psychological relaxation. The only thing they complained about was supervision at their workplace. Although proper supervision is a tool/component of psychological hygiene, the employees did not regard it highly. It would likely be a good idea to improve this area at the facility. This bachelor thesis could serve as an informative document for students at the Faculty of Health and Social Studies of the University of South Bohemia, for management of the G-centrum Tábor retirement home, and also for the general public.
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