Opposing Opinions in Familial Matters

Description

Green - Team 2: John Doe 85-year-old male has been in the hospital for two weeks recovering from pneumonia. He has been living at home with his wife of 50 years. Mr. Doe has Alzheimer's disease and was soon under the care of several nurses. His wife has been taking care of him for the past several years, but lately, the maintenance is getting too much. Cognitively Mr. Doe is declining. He tried to escape from the hospital several times because he was perplexed. He has children that live in the city and tries to visit as often as possible when he is at home. Mr. Doe is ready for discharge, but the healthcare team prefers Mr. Doe be placed in a nursing home with an Alzheimer's unit. His wife wants Mr. Doe to be placed on a regular unit because she believes Alzheimer's may make him decline even more. His children wish Mr. Doe to live at home with his wife, but they will hire a caregiver. One of Mr. & Mrs. Doe's children states that they agree with the healthcare team, which begins a conflict in the family. Additionally, there is a deadline for Mr. Doe to decide (whether he wants to follow through with the healthcare team's recommendations or not). One of Mr. and Mrs. Doe's children takes the story to the press, and the journalist tries to build a report on who should be the primary decision maker for Alzheimer's patients while receiving conflicting opinions from different family members, care teams, and professionals. After taking the story to the press, the public and other people with whom their family is close suggested that they consider taking a counselling session to help resolve their issue. By taking the advice of professionals, they can come to a mutual understanding/decision.