Question

Module 5. Abuse and Neglect 1 6 

CASE #1 

Mrs. Green is your client. She is 78 years old and has progressive degeneration of her hip joints that makes it very difficult for her to get out. You have been visiting her for three weeks, helping with the vacuuming, washing, and providing some social contact. 

Although Mrs. Green seems to want you to continue coming to see her, you notice that she is very anxious about your leaving on time. You feel that she is probably worried about the costs of your visits and wants to make sure that she isn't charged for extra time. 

You're aware that Mrs. Green has a daughter and, although she doesn't say much about her, you get the feeling that the daughter does visit. You have never met her, though. 

At the end of your last visit, Mrs. Green's washer backs up, spilling water all over the basement. Mrs. Green becomes very anxious, saying to you that, "It's alright: the water won't hurt the floor. You'd better go, you'll be late." 

You can't just leave the water on the floor, and insist on cleaning it up. Somewhat reluctantly, Mrs. Green decides to let you do this and returns upstairs. 

Just as you're finishing, you hear the door. A younger woman speaks to Mrs. Green. You notice that her tone is harsh as she says, "You're out of milk and bread? What did you do with all of the food I brought last week? Feeding those damn birds again- you don't have enough sense to make sure that you keep food for yourself. Now I have to get stuff because you've wasted what you had. Sometimes you act as though you don't have a brain in your head." 

Concerned, you put away the last of the cleaning supplies when you hear the younger woman say, "Whose coat is this?" When Mrs. Green replies that it is yours, the woman continues, "What's the matter? You aren't satisfied with all that I do? You have to invite some stranger into your house? Where are you getting all the money for this?" 

You go to the top of the stairs. The younger woman says to you, "Thanks for your help, but my mother won't be needing you anymore. I'll make sure that you're well paid for today." Mrs. Green looks miserable, but helpless. She looks down at the floor.

 1. Describe all the feelings that you (or other PSWS) might have in this situation. Explain how they might be helpful or unhelpful in resolving the problem. 

 2. List three behaviours of Mrs. Green's that indicate she may be abused. 

 3. In this situation, describe how power is being exerted over another person. 

 4. What action is appropriate for the PSW to take in this situation? Why? 

Answer 1

1. Describe all the feeling you might have in this situation. Explain how they might be helpful or unhelpful in resolving the situation.

Ans. I felt that patient is feeling loneliness she want someone who will provide care to her & be with her. Her daughter Neglecting the basic needs of the Mrs. Green & do forced confinement.

Mrs. Green wants love, affection & care. She also want someone who will provide care to her in this situation. These feeling might be helpful to manage the loneliness & providing care to the Mrs. Green. But on the other hand it is unhelpful because there family doesn’t want to do that or assign a person for her.

2. List the Three behaviours of Mrs. Green that indicate she may be abused?

Ans. 

a. Anxious

b. Miserable

c. Harrasment

3. In this situation describe how power is being exerted over another person?

Ans. In this situation Mrs. Green daughter misuse relationship power by respond inappropriately over Mrs. Green. In this controlling behaviour used to maintain power in a relationship. She use this power to control the behaviour of her mother.

4. What action is appropriate for the PSW to take in this situation?

Ans. 

1.PSW assist Mrs. Green in connecting with support services for the concers of elder abuse.

2. Provide informal counselling when needed.

3. provide counselling to her daughter also to change her behaviour towards her mother.

4. PSW observing, recognizing & reporting changes in the client behaviour.

5. PSW has to report the case of older abuse.

Answer 2

1. The feelings that i had during this situation are :-

- feeling helpless for Mrs. Green

- worried about Mrs. Green condition

- how abusive the daughter is

2. Three behaviours of Mrs. Green that indicates that she is being abused are :-

- don't allowing PSW to be in the house after the allotted time because of the fear of her daughter

- when her daughter says to PSW that you don't need to come anymore and Mrs. Green looks miserable

- don't allowing the PSW to clean the floor when the washer backs up

3. In this situation , the daughter is more powerful and is dominant on her old mother as she takes care of her .

4. The PSW should inform about this abuse to the concerned authority who looks over abuse cases and help Mrs.Green from her daughter's abuse .

Answer 3

1.My feelings after seeing the behaviour of the daughter is to slap her around and give a piece of my mind.I would have yelled at her and make her understand that she is being cruel and selfish because her mother is the reason for her life and she is being ungrateful.

But it is unhelpful and it does not resolve the problem.And if I behaved like this then there will be no difference between her and me.

2)Mrs green is always anxious.

And she does not talk anything about her daughter.I think she is afraid about her.

Always want her helper to leave on time.Because her daugheda may come and visit her and know that she is getting help.

3)Here daughter is exerting her power on her mother.She is emotionally abusing her mother by saying that she is eating all the food which the daughter is getting for her.And she is getting angry because she is getting help even is having progressive degeneration of hip joints.

4)Appropriate action to take by PSW is to file a complaint aganist the daughter and report the discussion between mother and daughter.And I would make sure that Mrs green is not alone with her daughter before the officials arrive.