Treating The Amish

3 Pages 718 Words

Treating the Amish


The Amish are a God-fearing, family-loving group of people. Their church doctrine states that “It is easier to stay pure and focused if we set ourselves apart from everyday society, not taking advantage of advances in technology.” Their ethics stress self-sufficiency, altruism and the need to put the community first above oneself.
The Amish believe in folk medicine: faith healing, pow-wows and herbal treatments. They believe that a higher level of medical science is simply not a gift from God, and needs to be taken care of. They believe that medicine helps, but God heals. They are very careful medical consumers. If an Amish person is seeking medical treatment, it indicates that it is an emergency or a very important concern. The Amish religion does not forbid its people to seek modern medical care. When necessary, the Amish can have surgical procedures, dental work, anesthesia or blood transfusions, Organ transplants are permitted, except for the heart, because they believe the heart is the soul of the body. In some Amish districts, all forms of insurance are discouraged, including medical insurance. The Amish believe insurance is worldly, and purchasing it shows a lack of faith. Again, they believe that God will care for them.
The Amish pay little attention to preventative care, and it is hard to impress upon them the importance of immunizations, cancer screenings, PAP smears and mammograms. This is largely because they believe that God heals them, but also because they may not be able to afford preventative care. Many Amish will refuse an autopsy and they do not believe in birth control.

The Amish do not like to be seen by a health care provider who is in the “learning” process. They believe if they are going to pay out-of-pocket for their health care, they want to be seen by a practicing physician. The Amish would rather go to the “teacher” than the “student”. Amish patie...