Effects of Caring for a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis Order Instructions: Hello writer sir, how are you today
Thank you so much for helping for this Assignment . This is an oral presentation supported by written papers.
So please write an essay on given topic and I will make an oral presentation from it. Case scenario for the assignment is as under , please have a look
• APA Referencing
• At least 15 genuine references from 2010 to 2016 study based,
• 90% references have to be research-based Journal article AND books
• Australian and New Zealand based study articles are preferable.
• Please have a look Rubric guideline for given topic, I need good grades in this assignment so please do me a favour and try to give me a best quality work
Case Study
Karen Bailey is a 39 year old who was diagnosed with remitting Multiple Sclerosis 4 years ago.
Karen is married to Geoff, and they have 3 children aged 3, 5, and 9 years old respectively. They live in their own home which is spread across two levels. Geoff is Karen’s primary carer – Geoff is a partner is an accountancy firm which involves a large amount of interstate travel. He is often not able to get home before 7.00 PM of an evening.
Karen now needs to use a walking frame to maintain her level of ambulation and is finding it increasingly difficult to mobilize easily. Karen’s sister, Lisa lives nearby and visits often. Lisa is keen to be involved in looking after her sister; however, Karen doesn’t want Lisa to see the extent of her condition or her lack of independence.
Karen continues to look after the children on a daily basis, however, some afternoons Karen finds this more difficult than others. Karen is finding that it is harder and harder to remain positive about her changing condition.
Karen has always enjoyed reading, however, due to deteriorating eyesight and weaker arm muscles, Karen is no longer able to focus on the text or hold the book. Lisa has arranged some talking books for Karen, however increasingly the concentration required to use these has become too tiring.
Geoff is struggling with the joint responsibilities of work and increasing role in Karen’s care. He goes into the office later in the morning after assisting her with a shower; however, this results in him coming home later in the evening. He has indicated that he feels increasingly powerless in this situation and is concerned about what the future holds for them.
TRIGGER
You are community nurse who has been allocated as Case Manager for Karen. When you arrive on your first visit Karen is home by herself and appears desperate to talk to you. Karen has a close friend, Bernadette, who is a naturopath. Bernadette is really trying to get Karen to try alternative therapies as she thinks that the medications Karen is taking are making her condition worse and thinks that an alternative approach to care would have a better chance of curing Karen.
Karen doesn’t know much about the medications but concerned that if she refused Bernadette’s offer, their friendship will be lost. This friendship is important to Karen because a number of her friends have severed contact with her. In conversation, Karen tells you that over the past couple of weeks, she has developed a number of bruises on her arms and legs. Bernadette has said that it must be Karen’s medications doing it to her and that means they must be toxic to her. Karen is unsure and asks what you think?
The following day you are working in the community health center when you get a phone call from Karen’s husband, Geoff. Geoff tells you that Karen had a fall in the lounge room last night and he needed to call the paramedics to lift her off the floor as he did not know how to do this. He sounds very stressed stating “I just don’t think I can do this anymore”. Geoff is not able to take any more sick days from work to care for the children and asks about what help is available.
Given the urgency of this situation, you visit Karen the same afternoon to assess the situation. When you arrive Karen is home alone. Karen is concerned about Geoff and has encouraged him to go to work. She is worried about her family and how they are coping. Karen has also noticed that she is now having some urinary dribbling. She tells you she had a fall last night and said this is happening on a regular basis as she needs to hurry to get to the toilet. Last night’s fall has shaken her confidence considerably and she now feels less able to be at home on her
own. When Karen discussed this with her husband, he said that he felt as if “their lives were falling apart”. Karen indicated her two elder children were responsible for many of the household chores such as washing and cleaning whilst her husband did the cooking and help with her showering.
Karen has developed a persistent dry cough and also has a fever. She has also been experiencing increasing symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty with holding her walking sticks, is dragging her left foot as she walks and is now unable to hold heavy objects.
Karen’s voice is also becoming weaker and Karen is having difficulty being heard when she talks.
Question:- Physical impact of MS on Karen’s family.
In this question, you have to only focus on
Physical impact on Geoff (Karen’s husband) in the given scenario.
My thinking we can include these point in the given paper however if you think other better point to address the physical impact on Geoff, that will be great. It is only a suggestion.
• Geoff’s care burden as a primary carer
• Health-related issues with Geoff
• Increase responsibility
• Increase work hours to meet the financial need for the family
• Risk of injury
• Family disturbance and unhappiness with a relationship
• Sexual issues
• Other issues as you think will be beneficial to get the good marks
Effects of Caring for a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis Sample Answer
Physical Effects of Caring for a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis
Caring for a relative with multiple sclerosis can significantly affect the physical well-being of those providing care (Ramagopalan & Sadovnick, 2011). In most cases, it is usually a collective responsibility of other family members who are expected to concentrate on the sick. Irrespective of needed support, taking care of a person with multiple sclerosis can be challenging and involves cleaning, moving them around and interruption of sleep. The paper evaluates the physical effects that Geoff is likely to present while caring for his wife that suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS) based on a presented case scenario.
Geoff’s Care Burden as a Primary Care
Evidence-based practices indicate that caregivers endure so much in their everyday endeavors as far as caring for the sick are concerned. Caring for Multiple Sclerosis patients has not been an easy thing for Geoff who is certainly giving up largely because of the distress and hopelessness of Karen’s deteriorating condition. In reality, the increased responsibility threatens to impair not just Geoff’s everyday schedule but piles the mental stress that may lead to other complications (Wood et al., 2012).
Increase Responsibility and Increase Work Hours to Meet the Financial Need for the Family
Geoff is under intense pressure to juggle the demands of work and home responsibilities. At home, for instance, Geoff has to cook for Karen and children and ensures that Karen takes a bath with his assistance. This is evident for instance when Geoff goes to work late in the morning and also comes home late after work, perhaps because he has to work overtime to meet family obligations. The suggestion that Geoff is increasingly helpless about Karen’s current condition and what the future holds for the family explains just how excruciating the experience presents. The assertion that “I just don’t think I can do this anymore” demonstrates how depressed Geoff is and this trend is obviously leading to a change in physiological health habits (Hughes, Locock & Ziebland, 2013).
Health-Related Issues with Geoff
The concentration of caregiving afforded by Geoff to Karen is highly likely to lead to other health-related issues, whether quantified in terms of the amount of care provided (Simpson et al., 2011). Karen’s suffering has a bearing on Geoff’s wellbeing as well. What is more challenging is the fact that while Geoff is dedicated to providing the needed help to Karen, her condition seems to get even worse. In reality, it becomes frustrating laboring to provide help that is unable to enhance the quality of care, an aspect that culminates into negative health effects (Palmer, 2011).
Other health issues associated with Geoff include Karen behavior, mental impairment, functional disability; constant supervision of Karen to control self-injuries. In addition, Geoff is not only depressed but also distressed, which may adversely affect his physical health. For instance, based on the case, Geoff feels that their lives are falling apart due to Karen’s deteriorating condition. According to Jones et al., (2012) caring for a patient with multiple sclerosis is extremely challenging because the patient requires close supervision and depressed due to the changing condition. Based on the case, Karen finds it harder to look after her family while remaining positive about her new condition. These aspects are connected to adverse career outcomes (Latimer-Cheung et al., 2013).
Family Disturbance and Unhappiness with Relationship and Sexual Issues
As a result of Karen’s condition is likely to affect their sex relationship, family disturbance, and unhappiness. In the recent past, studies have concentrated on caring for a spouse leading to distress and carer’s perception of the level of pain the patient is experiencing (Bowen, MacLehose & Beaumont, 2011). In this case, Karen’s suffering is depicted in different ways; evident physical signs like blurred vision, unable to hold her walking sticks, dragging her left foot and difficulty in holding heavy objects. Additionally, Karen’s voice is becoming weak, especially; when she talks she cannot be heard. Karen’s suffering can lead to Geoff’s depression. It is evident that due to an increased burden of caring for Karen and other family responsibilities he is not only powerless but also worried about their future.
Geoff’s Care Burden as a Primary Care
The physical health of the primary carer is adversely affected due to Karen current condition. Increased stress levels, anxiety, and psychological health issues are common (Bozic et al., 2011). Much as Geoff has increased levels of depression, past studies demonstrate that he may present remarkable signs of depression (Sellner et al., 2011). In addition, depression and the burden of caring for Karen may reduce Geof’s functional condition. Therefore, significant levels of depression are common among people caring for patients with multiple sclerosis (Mansell, Beadle-Brown & Bigby, 2013). Furthermore, the majority of carer’s are depressed as well as psychological stress (Langdon, 2011). Anxiety and depression in primary carers can worsen, particularly if the patient is placed in a nursing home. The majority of primary carer’s that institutionalize a family member present high levels of depression similar to those when the patient was at home (Wingerchuk & Carter, 2014). A depressed career may have chronic disorders, dependence on drugs and anxiety disorder. On the other hand, depression is a primary condition related to suicidal thoughts (Benedict & Zivadinov, 2011).
Risk of Injury
As a family caregiver, Geoff is faced with the risks of medical depression because of caring for Karen who requires physical needs. As such, Geoff is highly likely to engage in detrimental behavior toward their loved one. Moreover, Geoff is also at an increased risk for poor physical health outcomes owing to depressive symptoms and mental health issues among caregivers, coupled with the physical pressure of caring for Karen who can hardly undertake on everyday activities like taking a shower, cooking, and other individualized activities. The beehive of activities that have a tall order on Geoff’s physical wellbeing in terms of increased rates of physical ailments such as; acid reflux, headaches and other discomforts. Moreover, these ailments can result from Geoff’s depleted immune response that leads to recurrent infections (Munger & Ascherio, 2011).
Effects of Caring for a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis References
Benedict, R. H., & Zivadinov, R. (2011). Risk factors for and management of cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. Nature Reviews Neurology, 7(6), 332-342.
Bowen, C., MacLehose, A., & Beaumont, J. G. (2011). Advanced multiple sclerosis and the psychosocial impact on families. Psychology and Health, 26(1), 113-127.
Bozic, C., Richman, S., Plavina, T., Natarajan, A., Scanlon, J. V., Subramanyam, M. … & Bloomgren, G. (2011). Anti‐John Cunnigham virus antibody prevalence in multiple sclerosis patients: Baseline results of STRATIFY‐1. Annals of Neurology, 70(5), 742-750.
Hughes, N., Locock, L., & Ziebland, S. (2013). Personal identity and the role of ‘carer’ among relatives and friends of people with multiple sclerosis. Social science & medicine, 96, 78-85.
Jones, R., Mackenzie, A., Greenwood, N., Atkins, C., & Habibi, R. (2012). General practitioners, primary care, and support for carers in England: can training make a difference. Health & social care in the community, 20(2), 128-136.
Langdon, D. W. (2011). Cognition in multiple sclerosis. Current opinion in neurology, 24(3), 244-249.
Latimer-Cheung, A. E., Pilutti, L. A., Hicks, A. L., Ginis, K. A. M., Fenuta, A. M., MacKibbon, K. A., & Motl, R. W. (2013). Effects of exercise training on fitness, mobility, fatigue, and health-related quality of life among adults with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review to inform guideline development. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 94(9), 1800-1828.
Mansell, J., Beadle-Brown, J., & Bigby, C. (2013). Implementation of active support in Victoria, Australia: An exploratory study. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 38(1), 48-58.
Munger, K. L., & Ascherio, A. (2011). Prevention and treatment of MS: studying the effects of vitamin D. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 17(12), 1405-1411.
Palmer, A. J. (2011). Economic Impact of Multiple Sclerosis in 2010: Australian MS Longitudinal Study.
Ramagopalan, S. V., & Sadovnick, A. D. (2011). Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis. Neurologic Clinics, 29(2), 207-217.
Sellner, J., Kraus, J., Awad, A., Milo, R., Hemmer, B., & Stüve, O. (2011). The increasing incidence and prevalence of female multiple sclerosis—a critical analysis of potential environmental factors. Autoimmunity reviews, 10(8), 495-502.
Simpson, S., Pittas, F., Van Der Mei, I., Blizzard, L., Ponsonby, A. L., & Taylor, B. (2011). Trends in the epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Greater Hobart, Tasmania: 1951 to 2009. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 82(2), 180-187.
Wingerchuk, D. M., & Carter, J. L. (2014). Multiple sclerosis: current and emerging disease-modifying therapies and treatment strategies. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 89, No. 2, pp. 225-240). Elsevier.
Wood, B., Van Der Mei, I. A. F., Ponsonby, A. L., Pittas, F., Quinn, S., Dwyer, T., & Taylor, B. V. (2012). Prevalence and concurrence of anxiety, depression, and fatigue over time in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 1352458512450351.
