Throughout my lifetime, the common thread that seems to tie everything together with regard to ethics is the general definition that it is doing the right thing when no one else is looking. In Do the Right Thing, (Salopek) Frank Navran says, “Values are our fundamental beliefs or principles. They define what we think is right, good, fair, and just. Ethics are behaviors and tell people how to act in ways that meet the standard our values set for us.” Bringing ones’ own value system into the equation is the in which way most answer the question “What is/are ethics.” By bringing my own value system into answering the questions on ethics, and the difference between ethics and morals, beliefs, and values, the answers may seem simplistic.

It seems we have a little meter inside us that always give a true indication of how things are or how we should behave, but as soon as we try to rationalize the situation, we get lost in a complex mass of pros and cons. Our moral beliefs or values are the principles we use to define what is right, good, and just. They provide guidance in determining right versus wrong and good versus bad. They are our standards. We attribute our morals and values to a system of belief that helps us to identify what is right and wrong. When one acts in ways that are consistent with our moral values, we will portray that as acting ethically. When one’s actions are not fitting with our moral values - our sense of right, good and just - we will view that as acting unethically. The terms “ethics” and “values” are not interchangeable. Ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave, whereas values are the inner judgments that determine how a person actually behaves. Values concern ethics when they pertain to beliefs about what is right and wrong. Most values, however, have nothing to do with ethics. For instance, the desire for health and wealth are values, but not ethical values (Josephson, 2002).

Many outside influences have helped to mold my sense of morals and values, and in turn my personal code of ethics. One of the major influences to establishing these beliefs was the relationship with both of my grandmothers. Both had deep religious beliefs, each from different faiths. However different their faiths, the resulting influence on doing what they believed was the right thing to do act, was very similar. One of he always stressed a particular phrase when faced with someone mistreating her or if one of the grandchildren were being mistreated or treating someone else badly. The phrase she always used was “What goes around comes around.” Most of us have heard this, or something like it at one time or another, but because of my respect for my grandmother, I choose to believe it. It was a major influence in my life and how I try to treat other people and deal fairly in all of my dealings, both personally and professionally. The other grandmother was always urging us to find the good in people. She lived her life always finding value in everyone in the family. Never did I hear her speak critically of anyone. Whenever someone pointed out a particular flaw in someone, she seemed to always counter it with something positive that she saw. Family members who may have made some poor judgments or major mistakes in their lies were never an influence on how much love she showed them. She treated all of her family members with a very generous amount of love and compassion. She was never judgmental.

Watching other people’s examples has influenced the development of my own values and ethics. I have other relatives and acquaintances that I have observed doing things that went against what my grandmothers instilled in us a good and right. The consequences of those relatives and acquaintances behavior have also had a profound impact on where I define the lines of right and wrong. As a result, I believe I manifest my ethics as I try to live by the “Golden Rule,” and do unto others, as I would have them do unto me. In turn, colleagues seem to view me as a manager who is firm but fair, competitive while trustworthy. According to Josephson, ethics refers to principles that define behavior as right, good, and proper. Such principles do not always dictate a single “moral” course of action, but provide a means of evaluating and deciding among competing options.

We can examine existing ethics that surround certain current issues. In a workplace that involves caring for the elderly, an issue has ethical implications in direct proportion to its impact on human dignity. For example, an elderly person who is in unremitting pain and is incurable says to a family member, “I can’t take it any more, just let me die.” The elderly person then refuses food and liquids. This can create an ethical quandary if the family caregiver has religious or the moral belief that all medical treatment should be provided in order to sustain life. Another example of an ethical problem occurs when an adult child decides that an elderly person should no longer live at home because the mother or father is making poor judgments regarding his or her care. The preliminary finding is permanent dementia or progressive lack of memory leading to impaired brain functioning. Additionally, the elder person in very frail and has much trouble physically getting around without help from a family member. The principles of independence versus the safety of the individual are in conflict. To solve the dilemma individuals can use the ethical decision-making process:

· Gather relevant information

· Who are the stakeholders involved?

· Identify the values, loyalties or principles in conflict

· Explore alternative courses of action

· Make a decision

· Implement

· Evaluate

Answers to an ethical dilemma are never steadfast or clear. A solution for today may not be appropriate as the person’s condition or circumstance changes. In the example of the family that is considering a caregiver for the frail mother or father with progressive lack of memory, both the parent and adult child come up with a solution. They decide to let the parent conduct his/her life as he determines best. However, all the stakeholders, including the elderly parent, agree that should he/she fall again or cause harm to his/herself, they would consider hiring a caregiver. Although the decision was made with all stakeholders involved, two weeks later the elderly parent has a stroke. Despite the elderly parent’s protests, a caregiver is ordered to assist with their activities of daily living. The value of safety, at this point, overrides the value of independence.

Respecting the person’s right versus the policies and procedures that regulate an industry can often create conflicts. It is necessary for caregivers to be aware of their own values and how their values based on their cultural, religious or moral background may be in disagreement with the standards of the institution or the elderly client whom they serve. The dialog on morals, values, and ethics is ongoing and developing. It continues to be a work in progress. In closing, Bertrand Russell once said, “Without civic morality communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value.”