I searched "Alzheimer patients in home care" in Google and this picture was on the first results page. I thought PERFECT!! This is obviously a couple who has got to extend their life together because one of them has Alzheimer's and they are receiving home care. Perfect for my paper. I clicked on the picture and it brought me to the picture along with the article it was posted with.The article was about Supereme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her husband who have been married for 57 years. Her husband has Alzheimer's and lives in a residential care facility. He has found a new girlfriend in his RCF, yet he is still married to Sandra Day O'Connor. His son is quoted saying his father acts like a teenager in love.
People with Alzheimer's have no choice but to give into the diesease that is taking their memory and messing with their Brian. Sandra Day O'Connor's husband doesn't remember he has a wife but he knows he is in love with this new woman he met.
In my paper I argued for home care not RCFs because it is easier for the person with Alzheimer's to maintain their identity. During my inquiry phase I never encountered any information or questioned myself whether it matters if the person maintains their identity and therotetically their past. I feel like I may be researching a moot point. As long as the person with Alzheiemer's is happy isn't that all that matters?
My roommate actually told me a story about her Mom's Grandma who had Alzheimer's and would forget to put clothes on and would go garden naked or eat dinner on her porch naked. She was so happy though and when someone told her she wasn't wearing clothes she didn't care. My roommate's mother said she had never seen her grandma so happy. I feel like I was just making my argument before out of selfish reasons for being the family of a person with Alzheimer's and not for the person with Alzheimer's.
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting! I know Alzheimer's is a severe disease, but to be able to forget your spouse is really sad. I think this picture fits really well into what you are researching. From the background information you have given about Sandra Day O'Connor's husband, it seems that being able to maintain the identity of a husband is an extremely salient point. If I had a wife in the future who had Alzheimer's (or is Alzheimer's sex-linked?) I would be pretty upset if she couldn't remember me as her husband, but probably even more discouraged if she started flirting with another male in the RCF! I think there should be a balance between the happiness of the Alzheimer's patient and retaining their idenitities. The issue of RCF vs. home care does get very interesting when you address this dichotomy. I'm interesting in hearing more about what you find!
Kip
Really valuable discussion, Heather, and I've enjoyed discussing it with you in conferences. When discussing the issue, it may be helpful to refer to 'former' identity rather than 'old' identity. :-)
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