Case managers discuss ethics: dilemmas of an emerging occupation in long-term care in the United States

As case management programs mature, ethical questions undoubtedly arise. Yet there are few, if any, standards by which case managers can guide their actions and decisions. In this article, the authors present the results of a survey of 251 frontline case managers in 10 states who were asked to describe the ethical challenges they face. The respondents were conscious of struggling with difficult, even life-and-death decisions involving important choices in their clients' lives. Generally, the case managers were committed to the ideology of respect for client autonomy but found themselves making uneasy compromises with the concept at every turn. Ethical issues arose not only with the client but also with the client's family, colleagues, and providers. Case managers, long-term care providers, and governmental policymakers could all benefit from both theoretical and practical explorations of desirable approaches to individual and societal long-term care decisions.