Category: Dignity

Back to Case Studies

  • 74. Case: Compulsive Hoarding – Mary

    Mary is a 72 year old woman who has been a compulsive hoarder for the last 10 years.  She can only move from room to room through pathways. She would like to move closer to her daughter and grandchildren, but she feels overwhelmed by the amount of stuff she has in her house. Despite the…

    View Case Study: 74. Case: Compulsive Hoarding – Mary

  • 73. Case: Compulsive Hoarding – Bessie

    Bessie is 65 years old and is living with schizophrenia. She has recently been discharged from hospital, and is now receiving mental health support services at home.  For a while the team has attempted to visit Bessie twice a day. She initially refused to let the team into her apartment and has now allowed health…

    View Case Study: 73. Case: Compulsive Hoarding – Bessie

  • 64. Case: Implementing an Anti-Obesity Strategy

    The local health district is in the final stages of adopting a comprehensive organizational anti-obesity policy. Its development was led by a working group of diverse stakeholders from across the district and included an extensive consultation process. One aspect of the policy that generated a lot of discussion and debate at the working group was the suggestion…

    View Case Study: 64. Case: Implementing an Anti-Obesity Strategy

  • 58. Case: Harm Reduction

    Medical Officers of Health from British Colombia, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan have written to advocate for emphasizing harm reduction in the approach to cannabis and other illegal drugs (including possible legalization). “Evidence-based drug treatment programs are cost effective, and significant benefits should be derived, at both individual and societal levels, through an increase in scale.…

    View Case Study: 58. Case: Harm Reduction

  • 54. Case: Professional Role

    While doing a weekday home visit to an elderly patient, a VON nurse in a small community finds the patient’s son at home. The patient has mentioned that her son teaches at the local elementary school, but he has never been present during any of the nurse’s previous visits to the house. On a weekday…

    View Case Study: 54. Case: Professional Role

  • 53. Case: Disease Stigma

    A patient has been followed by you, his family doctor, for several medical issues and is being seen for a minor work-related injury. He is very negative and tearful but will not acknowledge his symptoms when asked. You believe he is depressed and you know you can provide treatment for his depression. However, the patient…

    View Case Study: 53. Case: Disease Stigma

  • 52. Case: Community Values

    A patient in your rural community that you have treated for COPD for several years missed her last two appointments. When you speak with her after church, she indicated her husband lost his job as a logger and no longer has family health insurance to cover the cost of the treatments. She refuses to accept…

    View Case Study: 52. Case: Community Values

  • 51. Case: Confidentiality and Privacy

    Joanne Baker, a nurse practitioner in a small community, prescribed a partial opiate agonist to a young man, Brian, for treatment of prescription opiate dependence. Brian is talented and plays on the same soccer team as Joanne’s son. Three weeks later, Brian is found unresponsive after an overdose of opiates, requiring intubations and medical evacuation…

    View Case Study: 51. Case: Confidentiality and Privacy

  • 47. Case: Collegial Responsibilities

    You are a pediatric critical care specialist working in the ICU taking care of a newborn infant who suffered a severe, prolonged reduction in blood flow to his brain at the time of birth. The consulting neurologist has indicated that the infant’s prognosis for functional neurological recovery is very poor in the unlikely event that…

    View Case Study: 47. Case: Collegial Responsibilities

  • 44. Case: Whose Business Is It?

    Brent Wathorn, 78, has been living at Halfway Lake Manor for about 6 years. His main complaint has been that he is lonely and has had difficulty connecting with the other residents. This has been a source of distress for staff at times, as they would like him to feel more ‘at home.’ Norma Carkner,…

    View Case Study: 44. Case: Whose Business Is It?

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

NSHEN logo

© © 2026 Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network.
All Rights Reserved.

[Privacy Policy]