Healthcare Case Study: Analyzing Violet's Health and Family Dynamics

This case study analyzes the health challenges of Violet, a patient with type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and a leg ulcer, focusing on her care and the impact on her family. The assignment explores both quantitative and qualitative aspects, including the formulation of research questions and the search...Read More

Violet Health Case Study 1
VIOLET HEALTH CASE STUDY
By (Name)
Couse
Instructor
Institution
City and State
Date

Violet Health Case Study 2
Introduction
Diabetes is a global epidemic disease with a prevalence estimate of 6.4%, where more
than 200 million people are infected with the killer disease. Study shows that adults ranging
between 44-70 years of age are more prevalent to diabetes type 2 compared to young adults
which has been contributed by widespread of poor lifestyle, bad eating habits, and poor diabetes
control measures. Though diabetes infections are said to be hereditary, most people are now
diagnosed with diabetes type two due to poor lifestyle habits. Social distress becomes part of the
family with a person living with diabetes, seeing that most of the resources are used in the
treatment of the disease. The article enlightens us on the various diseases which affect aged
people along with various social and economic problems faced when dealing with diabetes
infected victims.
Quantitative Aspect of the Case Study
Violet, who is a diabetic type two victim, is among millions of people who are going
through psychological hardship due to their illness in their old age. Violet’s case scenario is an
example of how various families pass through life hardships coping with diabetic and related
infections. Old people are susceptible chronic infections since their bodies become
immunosenescence, and their immune systems become inefficient; altering the distribution of
immune cells (Fuentes et, al. 2017 p. 285). Like Violet, many diabetic patients are prone to other
diseases that are brought by poor sugar regulation in the body. What are some of the body
disorders brought by old age? What are some of the social and economic distress that the family
faces in taking care of diabetes patient and old age-related diseases?

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Search Strategy for Suitable Articles
In determining the type of literature to use in our case scenario, we have to use simple, specific
keywords in our Google search in order to get better and scholarly articles that will match with
our expectations. Google scholar will help us to have control of all the publications we need
either by the author, publication date, and getting a specific published journal. Once we open our
browser; Mozilla Fire forks, we go search the word Google scholar where we get various
options, but we select our specific keyword Google scholar. In the top left corner of the
webpage, we press the button made of horizontal lines to open a new menu. We directly go to the
advanced search which has eight ways of searching which later are broken down to three broad
sections; all, exact phrase, at least one and without. We click to the option exact phrase. We can
then type one of our quantitative research questions in the correct phrase box using specific
keywords (Semo.libguides.com, 2019). In our quantitative research question, we can search for
the causes of diabetes type two infections, which later give us various results in relation to our
search.
To select the collect articles or journals to use, we have to select by the author and the year of
publication. For our case, we will use published health organization articles such World Health
Organization (WHO), National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), National Library
of Medicine (NLM) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) since their articles are certified and
give detailed literature in relation to our case. We shall select good scholarly articles that have
clear diabetes medical concepts and old age infections. We may also select case-study articles
which are in relation to old age infections.
Literature Evidence

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Using a journal from NCBI; Causes, Consequences, and Reversal of Immune System Aging,
helps us understand the immune system of the older adults responds to infections. The old
immune system gradually decreases as they grow old since they are non-immunodeficient.
(Dorshkind et al. 2017, p. 958) Immunodeficient decreases due to low production of B and T
cells in the bone marrow, which reduces the function of lymphocyte that responds to the
encountered antigens. When the white blood cells efficiency reduces, the body becomes prone to
infections. Therefore continuous exposition of T cells to a persistence antigen leads to exhaustion
of the T cells resulting in persisting infections and tumors (Wherry and Kurachi, p 486 2015).
The article will help us understand why Violet is faced with various diseases such as diabetes,
osteoarthritis, and lower left leg ulcer in her old age. The reason that is that her body is unable
to fight back infections
What are some of the health disorders associated with old age? To elaborate this World
Health Organization (WHO) articles will help us view various infections that are common with
the aged people, which will help us in more understanding of Violet's health issue. The article
"Aging and Health" from the WHO further describes old age infections by citing examples and
their causes. Like Violet, most older adults are suffering from bacterial infections. According to
WHO common conditions in the old age include hearing loss osteoarthritis, diabetes,
depressions, and pulmonary diseases which are characterized by complex health states called
geriatric Syndrome.
What are some of the social and economic distress that the family faces in taking care of
diabetes patient and old age-related disorders? The article from NCBI by the name Health and
Social Problems of the Elderly helps us understand how families are affected by early age illness.

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Most of the older adults infected by diabetes and other old age-related infections may appear as a
burden to their families and may live unhappy lives. They increase the cost of living of their
families, seeing that there is an increase in medical care costs and the high rate of dependency
among the infected (Lena et al. 2009 p 131). On the other hand, the patients feel neglected and
insecure leading to depression. This is vivid in Violet's case, where she demands ample time with
her daughter Gemma, while Gemma struggles to meet the needs of her struggling family. The
article helps to see the economic difficulties faced by families to meet the needs of their needs
and the needs of the aged people.
Qualitative Aspect of Case Study
How Should We Care for People Infected With Diabetes and Old Age-Related Disorders
This question helps us know the care that older adults need when infected by old age
disorders. Moreover, it helps us understand the difficulties the older people go through during
their old age. According to our Violet's case, more attention is needed to the older people due to
their vulnerability to infections. Violet is unable to walk a long distance on the grounds that she
is infected with leg ulcer where she is forced to use a walking frame. Furthermore, there is
a district nurse who attends her daily dressing.
The articles to help us in our research should be detailed on the clinical needs of the old patients
in society. We can search for literature to use through the National Library of Medicine or World
Health Organization articles; the articles are well known to give satisfactory clinical details.
Additionally selected articles should give information on the challenges faced by the older

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people infected by diabetes. Articles from the American Diabetes Association will also give us
detailed data on proper care to diabetic infected people. Going through WHO portal we search
for ‘Health System That Meets the Needs of Older People’ which states that health systems have
to be remodeled in a way that is able to respond to the needs of the old and reduce the rate of
dependency (World Health Organization) The article by the name Psychological Problems In
Patients With Diabetes type two explains the risk associated with diabetes psychological stress
and further gives advise on how to manage it. Study shows that diabetic people are highly
affected by distress, anxiety, and psychiatric disorders that increase the risk of vascular dementia.
This may occur; as a result, insulin therapy resistance among diabetic people (Stankovic et al.
2013, p 1138). Psychological care should be given in combination with medical care in order to
improve the lives of those infected by diabetes. Considering the dementia increase among the
older people infected by diabetes, proper screening should be done on an annual basis
(diabetes.medicinematters.com, 2019). In relation to our case; Violet should be given a good
social environment for her to free from stress in order to control dementia. Mathew should
refrain from arguing with Violets, as it adds more stress to her, consequently worsening her
condition.
Older people need tender care with the access of a medical practitioner due to their health
complexity situations. Most of the old, sick people have functional limitations in that they need
urgent assistance either from a family person or paid personnel to provide care and assistance in
daily living, toileting and dressing up (Flieger, 2017 p. 112). Loneliness, social exclusion, and
social isolation contribute to the increase in death rates among older people. Older people should
receive positive support both from the family members and medical personnel. Positive and

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supportive relationship contributes to old people wellbeing and increases the life of the aged
(Patterson, 2014 p. 731) The family members have the responsibility of caring the old people in
the family by providing proper health security for the elderly. They need acceptance, love,
respect, and empathy in their families. The older people have a feeling of acceptance and
recognition when they are consulted in decision making of the family (Świderska, 2014 p.19).
Such family bonding increases life happiness among the old leading to a better life.
Conclusion
Many old age health disorders can be managed if proper medical care is given to the aged.
Though there is a need for proper care for the old according to our research findings, most old
people are neglected by their family members and left to stand on their own. They are often not
understood and accepted in society. According to our research findings old age needs social
understanding, love, respect a to help them live a better life in the future, on the contrary, the old
people are perceived as a burden by the young generation. Additionally, there is a lot of conflict
among the family members, as in our case between Mathew and Violet. To reduce conflicts
among families, children should take care of their parents in the old age by ensuring health
security order to protect them against old health disorders. By doing this, health complications in
the old age will reduce.

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Bibliography
Diabetes.medicinematters.com. (2019). Psychosocial care in diabetes. [online] Available at:
https://diabetes.medicinematters.com/psychosocial-care/type-2-diabetes/psychosocial-care-in-
diabetes/12316192 [Accessed 4 Sep. 2019].
Fuentes, E., Fuentes, M., Alarcon, M. and Palomo, I., 2017. Immune system dysfunction in the
elderly. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 89(1), pp.285-299.
Flieger, S. (2017). Implementing the patient-centered medical home in complex adaptive
systems. Health Care Management Review, 42(2), pp.112-121.
Kalache, A. (2018). The World Health Organization perspective on gender, aging, and health.
Ageing International, 24(4), pp.39-48.
Lena, A., Ashok, K., Padma, M., Kamath, V., and Kamath, A. (2009). Health and social
problems of the elderly: A cross-sectional study in Udupi Taluk, Karnataka. Indian Journal of
Community Medicine, 34(2), p.131
Montecino-Rodriguez, E., Berent-Maoz, B., and Dorshkind, K. (2013). Causes, consequences,
and reversal of immune system aging. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 123(3), pp.958-965

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Patterson, L. (2014). Making our health and care systems fit for an aging population: David
Oliver, Catherine Foot, Richard Humphries. King's Fund in March 2014. Age and Ageing, 43(5),
pp.731-731.
Semo.libguides.com. (2019). Research Guides: Google Scholar: Advanced Searching. [Online]
Available at: https://semo.libguides.com/google-scholar/advanced-searching [Accessed 3 Sep.
2019].
Świderska, M. (2014). The importance of family support in old age. Pedagogika Rodziny, 4(1),
pp.15-22.
Stankovic, Z., Jasovic-Gasic, M. and Lecic-Tosevski, D. (2013). Psychological problems in
patients with type 2 diabetes - clinical considerations. Vojnosanitetski pregled, 70(12), pp.1138-
1144.
Wherry, E. and Kurachi, M. (2015). Molecular and cellular insights into T cell exhaustion.
Nature Reviews Immunology, 15(8), pp.486-499.
World Health Organization. (2019). Health systems that meet the needs of older people. [online]
Available at: https://www.who.int/ageing/health-systems/en/ [Accessed 4 Sep. 2019].