Elder Care | Case Study | Assignment

Running head: ELDERLY
Elderly
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

ELDERLY
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Elder care especially for a family member is a challenging task given the fact that an
elder requires some kind of assistance all the time and it is difficult for a professional to
devote the required amount of time and patience. For this regard social service workers and
caregivers are a genuine help (Lai et al., 2016). The given case study portrays two elderly
persons, one of whom (Shirley) suffers from Alzheimer’s and her husband (George), 70 years
of age, takes care of her and place the substantial role of a caregiver. It is observed by Alana,
George's niece, that George is also aging and getting too old to take care of Shirley like miss
judging the exact day of the week and making Shirley have double dose of the same
medicine, which could amount to a serious issue of negligence towards Shirley subsequently.
Answers to Questions of the Case Study
1. Given the fact that both the couples are quite old, with one having Alzheimer’s and
another showing some signs of Alzheimer’s, it is best recommended that the couple
seek help from caregivers, who could assist them in their house.
2. Having a comfortable living home and a financial security are the two major strengths
of the couple. The strengths could be used to make sure that the couple could stay at
their house under the supervision and help of a full-time caregiver, instead of moving
to a care home.
3. As a social worker, the children of the couple could be asked to visit their parents
more often, which could help in guarding the medical condition from getting worse.
The caregiver could be e asked to make the couple involved with certain community
activities involving other elderlies, which could give their life a new dimension.
4. If the couple were poor, the social worker could have arranged for public care homes
and apply for the old age security pension for them. They would not be able to live
together if they did not have a comfortable living space of their own.

ELDERLY
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Social Work Theories
A. Onion-peeling Theories
The theory of onion-peeling supports the view that human life has a complex layer of
experiences that influences the human life, thereby becoming responsible for the different
behavioural patterns of such humans in their life ahead (Ives, Denov & Sussman, 2020).
Onion peeling theories including the person-centered approaches and psychodynamic
theories strives to peel back the different complex layers of experiences in order to shape the
current life (Turner, 2017).
In respect to the given case, the social worker would try to spend time and engage into
quality conversation with the elderly couple in order to know the problems that they had
faced earlier or their overall grievances about life; it could be regarding their children staying
in Alberta who really visits them or some unfulfilled dreams that they would like to fulfil.
Meaningful conversation that focuses especially on their lives could help the elderly couple
live a normal life. Given the medical condition of Shirley, the social worker may find
challenges to help her move forward in life as it is difficult for her to remember incidents of
past old things that she once aspired to achieve. However, the social worker could take the
help of George’s mind, in order to help both Shirley and George, thereby focusing on both of
their lives, severally and together with the help of people-centered approach of onion peeling
theories.
B. Faulty engine Theories
The faulty-engine theories, on the other hand, focuses on the present situation of a person
rather than looking into his past, thereby emphasising more on factors of relevant changes
that could be brought into such person for giving him unchanged outlook on life. This theory
is appropriate for people suffering from faulty perspectives and behavioural issues, either due