MSN 5550 Health Promotion: Prevention of Disease
Case Study Module 4
Instructions: Read the following case study and answer the reflective questions. Please provide
rationales for your answers. Make sure to provide a citation for your answers. Must follow
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CASE STUDY: Family Member with Alzheimer’s Disease: Mark and Jacqueline
Mark and Jacqueline have been married for 30 years. They have grown children who live in another
state. Jacqueline’s mother has moved in with the couple because she has Alzheimer’s disease.
Jacqueline is an only child and always promised her mother that she would care for her in her old
age. Her mother is unaware of her surroundings and often calls out for her daughter Jackie when
Jacqueline is in the room. Jacqueline reassures her mother that she is there to help, but to no avail.
Jacqueline is unable to visit her children on holidays because she must attend to her mother’s daily
needs. She is reluctant to visit friends or even go out to a movie because of her mother’s care needs
or because she is too tired. Even though she has eliminated most leisure activities with Mark,
Jacqueline goes to bed at night with many of her caregiving tasks unfinished. She tries to visit with
her mother during the day, but her mother rejects any contact with her daughter. Planning for the
upcoming holidays seems impossible to Mark, because of his wife’s inability to focus on anything
except her mother’s care.
Jacqueline has difficulty sleeping at night and is unable to discuss plans even a few days in
advance. She is unable to visit friends and is reluctant to have friends visit because of the
unpredictable behavior of her mother and her need to attend to the daily care.
Reflective Questions
1. How do you think this situation reflects Jacqueline’s sense of role performance?
2. How do you think that Jacqueline may be contributing to her own health?
Question 1: How do you think this situation reflects Jacqueline’s sense of role performance?
Jacqueline’s sense of role performance is being challenged by the situation. She has always promised her mother that she would care for her in her old age, and she is now faced with the reality of what that means. Her mother has Alzheimer’s disease, which is a progressive brain disorder that causes memory loss and cognitive decline. This means that Jacqueline is now responsible for providing her mother with 24/7 care.
Jacqueline is struggling to cope with the demands of caregiving. She is unable to visit her children on holidays, she is reluctant to visit friends or go out to a movie, and she is having trouble sleeping at night. She is also feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
Jacqueline’s sense of role performance is being affected by the following factors:
The demands of caregiving are overwhelming her.
She is feeling isolated and alone.
She is not getting enough support from her family and friends.
She is not taking care of her own physical and emotional health.
Question 2: How do you think that Jacqueline may be contributing to her own health?
Jacqueline is contributing to her own health problems by not taking care of herself. She is not getting enough sleep, she is not eating a healthy diet, and she is not exercising. She is also feeling stressed and overwhelmed, which can lead to health problems.
Jacqueline needs to make some changes in her life in order to improve her health. She needs to find ways to reduce her stress levels, she needs to get more sleep, she needs to eat a healthy diet, and she needs to start exercising. She also needs to find ways to get more support from her family and friends.
If Jacqueline does not make some changes in her life, her health problems are likely to get worse. She could develop high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or even depression. She could also become more susceptible to infections.
Jacqueline needs to take her health seriously. She needs to make her own health a priority. She needs to find ways to reduce her stress levels, get more sleep, eat a healthy diet, exercise, and get more support from her family and friends. If she does these things, she will be more likely to stay healthy and be able to provide the best possible care for her mother.
References
Alzheimer’s Association. (2023). What is Alzheimer’s? Retrieved from https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers
National Institute on Aging. (2023). Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers
