Posted: September 13th, 2017
Healthcare and life sciences
You will address a hypothetical scenario below that involves assumptions about Mary and Don, including: extent of disability, living situation, financial situation,
service preferences, and specific questions presented in terms about their concerns and issues. This may require making some assumptions about their situation in order
to completely respond to the scenario. Explain the long-term care options appropriate to their circumstances and preferences, the implications of each option for their
longer-term financial security and social quality of life, and a specific set of recommendations on what they should do.
Questions:
1. What long-term care options should Don consider for Mary and himself?
2. What are the requirements necessary to access the care you have chosen in Question 1?
3. What funding mechanisms are available to Don and Mary, and how does this affect the choice of care options?
4. What could Don and Mary have done to plan their care during their later years? What is your plan to prepare for the possibility of your need for long-term
care?
Don and Mary were happily married for 50 years and had two successful children and five grandchildren. Don and Mary met while serving in the US Army during the Korean
Conflict; After their military service ended, they married and embarked on their careers. Don and Mary were healthcare professionals; Don was a professor at the local
medical school, and Mary was a hospice nurse. Don and Mary were always active in their church and volunteered their time in the community. Both retired at age 65 to
pursue their dreams of international travel and spending their children’s inheritance.
During the early years of their retired life, the couple continued to work part time, travel extensively, and spend time with their grandkids. Their retirement plans
seemed to be going swimmingly until Don noticed that his wife was having memory problems at the age of 78. Mary always kept up on the latest topics and was always the
first to complete the crossword puzzles and other logic games in the newspaper. However, Mary seemed to become increasingly forgetful; she would run errands to
purchase specific items and return home empty-handed. The couple decided to seek help from a gerontologist.
An extensive battery of cognitive and neuropsychological tests determined that Mary’s language skills and mental abilities had markedly diminished. Mary was
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, an incurable terminal brain disease. After the initial shock of the diagnosis, the couple developed a plan to cope with the
disease-Don was going to be Mary’s caregiver. The progression of the disease was tough for Don and the family to watch. At first Mary became confused, then she became
progressively irritable and aggressive. Five years after the diagnosis, Mary became almost totally withdrawn. Her appetite was nonexistent, and she became incontinent.
Additionally, Mary suffered from “sundowner’s syndrome”-a phenomenon whereby the individual experiences confusion and exasperation during the late afternoon or early
evening hours.
Don struggled to care for her and keep an upbeat attitude; however, he too wasexperiencing the deterioration of aging. After years of being a competitive
runner, his knees and other joints prevented him from fully assisting Mary. Don hired a home health aide to visit daily to assist Mary and also do some light household
chores. As Mary’s condition grew more serious, he had to make a decision. He was no longer able to care for her, and his own ailments were starting to severely impact
his ability to take care of himself. Additionally, their retirement savings had dwindled to the point that they needed financial assistance from family members to get
by. The case of Mary and Don is not uncommon, as many serious experience the inevitable choice of long-term care.
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