Case Study: The Careless Caregiver

What could be worse than being diagnose with early stages of dementia at the end of retirement? Dementia is considered a decline in the mental ability that results in a poor quality daily life. About nine million American suffer from the progressive disease of dementia. Furthermore, half of the people diagnosed with dementia suffers from Alzheimer’s disease which is the most common type of dementia (Dementia Society of America, 2018). People who are suffering from dementia cannot make decisions for themselves anymore since the cognitive ability is impaired. Ideally, people should express their wishes related to the end of life while they can make the best decisions related to end of life care. One form to address their wishes is through a
an English high school teacher. She was a single woman who never got married and lived at her home while she dedicated her life to teach in Pine Junction. Ms. Grace retired when she found out that she started to develop the early stages of dementia. She decided to move to Happy Valley Nursing Home when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. While Grace lived at Happy Valley, she demonstrated a joyful life. She enjoyed every gathering with others at Happy Valley. But, as the dementia disease progressed Grace became isolated. She was not the same person anymore because her communication skills decline every day more and more (Flanigan & Potter,
In the case study “The Careless Caregiver” the nurse did not fulfill this ethical principle because the patient had specified that she did not want any “extraordinary” treatment to be done. The supplemental nutrition that the patient was receiving through an indwelling IV further of preserving her life was making her arm swollen and painful (American Nurses Association, n.d.). The wishes of Grace specified that she did not want extension of her life. In fact, she had a Do Not Resuscitate request in case she had to encounter such