What services might be needed to enable Mrs. C. to remain in her own home? 

Just a response to what peer wrote

•  What burdens will this place of her husband?
  • Mr. C will have to transition from the role of spouse to caregiver. As Mrs. C’s disease progresses Mr. C will have to give up some of his own independence to care for Mrs. C. Mr. C will slowly have to take over the household tasks and chores that Mrs. C was primarily responsible for over the last 50 years. Mr. C will also have an increasing physical burden as Mrs. C’s mobility declines. In addition to the logistical and physical burdens Mr. C will have to carry the emotional toll of a wife who is physically and mentally regressing. The personality changes will be an especially difficult for Mr. C who still refers to Mrs. C as “his bride.” According to Drench, spouses may experience grief, anger, and chronic sorrow when a “lost” spouse is still alive (2012).  Caregiver burden is a real possibility for Mr. C due to the changes in his life and the new tasks he must perform for Mrs. C. Without assistance from his family, friends, and professional caregivers burnout is likely.
•  On her daughter who lives nearby?
  • The daughter that lives nearby may deal with the burdens that Mr. C is too uncomfortable or unable to perform. This daughter may feel the burden of fulfilling the need of respite care. Respite care is a unique burden because not all respite care is scheduled. Respite care may be due to her father’s illness or injury. As Mrs. C’s daughter, she may feel conflict between her personal responsibilities in her own home and the responsibilities placed upon her by her parents. Such conflict can result in chronic sorrow and an increased susceptibility to developing their own health problems (Drench, 2012). Mr. C’s daughter is more removed from the situation because she does not live in Mr. C’s home. As such she may feel the pressure to encourage outside help from professional caregivers.
•  On her daughter who lives far away?
  • The daughter who lives far away may struggle with guilt that she cannot do more for her aging parents. Mrs. C’s daughter may also feel guilt for the burdens her sister carries. She may see her relationship with her mother slip away faster than those who spend the most time with her.
•  How might this affect the relationship between them?
  • The relationship between Mr. C and his wife will change from spouse to caregiver. Mr. C’s  closest daughter will feel this same impact with her mother’s decline. In addition, Mr. C and his closest daughter may have a more complex relationship when they make joint decisions about Mrs. C’s care that may more closely resemble business partners than father and daughter.
•  What services might be needed to enable Mrs. C. to remain in her own home?
  • Mrs. C will need help with activities of daily living. Mr. C will need to perform, hire help, or receive family assistance with meals, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and mobility. As the disease progresses Mr. C and his daughter will have to adjust to the needs of Mrs. C.
• What if the daughters want to put Mrs. C. in a skilled nursing facility but the husband wants to keep her at home?
  • The daughters will be motivated to do the best thing for both of their parents. Mr. C will be motivated by his generational values that formal or institutional care meant being “put away” to die. Ultimately this decision will be made according to any living wills, advance directives, or durable power of attorney. If those are not available Mr. C will have the final say in the care of Mrs. C. Mr. C would only lose that ability if he was unable to care for Mrs. C.          o    What criteria do you think should be considered when making this decision?
    • Mrs. C deserves the best care possible. If caring for her at home is of lower quality than what she could receive in a long term care facility she should be moved to institutional care. Mrs. C’s advance directives should be considered as well as the ability of Mr. C and his closest daughter’s ability to care for Mrs. C at home. The final consideration is the access to home care. If professional home care could fill the gaps in Mrs. C’s care it would be beneficial to Mr. C to see his wife cared for at home.
•  Imagine that this is your grandparent.         o    How would it affect your family?
  • • My Family would struggle with this decision. My grandparents are cared for by my father, however my father has acquired some health conditions that make it difficult for him to perform some of the tasks they require. At this point both grandparents are fairly independent and require more household help than help with activities of daily living. If activities of daily living became affected my family would most likely chose skilled nursing care at home before choosing institutional care.
  • How would your family respond?
    • My family is fairly close geographically so we would be better prepared to give respite care and divide responsibilities. My family is focused on giving my grandparents their independence as well as quality of life. Any change to care plans would be focused on those aspects of life.

Reference:

Drench, M. E., Cassidy Noonan , A., Sharby , N., & Hallenborg Ventura, S. (2012). Pyscosocial Aspects of Health Care (Third ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson.