Mia Mingus, a disability activist, was speaking publicly once about the plight of the disabled people, and how often the most difficult aspect of a person’s disabilities is their interaction with the able-bodied world. As stated by Mingus, disability is the one thing we are guaranteed, because if we live long enough, we all become disabled. Thus, Mingus questioned why is there so might stigma surrounding disabilities and diseases to this day (Mingus, 2015). This social worker, while reviewing the case study information on Mrs. X, reflected on Mingus’ quote and how it might apply to Mrs. X and the way her family manages her case.
Mrs. X is an elderly woman, has three children, and she has given the Hospital consent to confer with the children about her health. Mrs. X’s son contacted this social worker a few days prior to tell her that Mrs. X was diagnosed with a serious case of intrauterine cancer, and the prognosis is dire. The son also tells this social worker that Mrs. X has cognitive impairments and is struggling with clinical depression and begs the social worker not to disclose the medical diagnosis to Mrs.
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The online Collins English Dictionary (2012) defines self-determination as, “the power or ability to make a decision for oneself without influence from the outside.” While social workers have spent decades discussing this definition and how it manifests within social work, there is an overall understanding that the client has a right to their own choice. As Spicker (1990) wrote, “In order to be free, a person must be able to choose” (p. 228). Mrs. X has been stripped of her freedom and her self-determination because she has not been given any choice in her well-being and she is being misled by everyone around her. As the social worker assigned to this client, this social worker must think seriously about this ethical standard and her