Background info (please also see attachment): Grandmother Ella has had cancer for years now and has followed alternative remedies from the time she was first diagnosed. Ella had a period of remission; however, the cancer returned and has metastasized to her bones, liver, and lungs. She is in the hospital after collapsing from weakness. She is being released from the hospital as she wishes to spend her last days and months at home. Ella has her preferences for care, though she is now so weak that she has given up in many ways. The family members are each experiencing their own fears and are grieving as they face the loss that will occur when Ella’s life ends. Ella feels stressed by the discord and discomfort of family members.

 

 

QUESTION: Discuss the psychological and social issues that are present and will possibly be more pronounced at this stressful time. How has the fact that this illness has been ongoing (chronic) affected the family?

SOC313 Family Document
Throughout this class, we will meet two families, the Maldonado’s and the Olson’s. The two families are
considered extended family via Sarah and Joe Miller. We will learn about their relationships, work
environments, and the psychosocial effects related to health challenges faced by each family. You will
use this document for the discussions and written assignments. We begin with the Maldonado family. Manny and Donna Maldonado have been married for 42 years. Manny is age 65 and Donna is 63. Sarah,
Mike and Becky are the children of Manny and Donna Maldonado. Sarah is the eldest daughter,
followed by her brother, Mike, and her sister, Becky. Manny is Hispanic American and owns a 20,000-acre produce farm that has been in his family for
three generations. Although Manny speaks and understands English, he prefers to speak Spanish.
This creates a language barrier between Manny and other family members who do not speak
Spanish. Donna is fluent in Spanish, having learned the language from Manny and his family.
Donna works on the farm with her husband. She has long suffered from mood swings, which is
mostly frustrating to Manny. He says it is “brujeria,” meaning her moods are caused by witchcraft
and “mal d ojo” or “evil eye.” He believes someone put a spell on Donna. When this is believed to
be the case, the person will visit a Curandero (healer) who will perform a healing ritual.
o Sarah works as a nurse, and recently took Family Leave of Medical Absence (FMLA) due to
her children’s recent issues.
o Joe is the President of Illusion Technologies. Joe’s parents are John and Ella Miller. More
details about Joe are shared in the Olson family section below. Lucy, age 20, has a history of severe substance use disorder, along with having been
diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In the past two years, Lucy has had four different jobs. o
o
o She is unable to hold a job long-term. She now works on her grandparent’s produce
farm. Josh, age 17, has been sneaking away with friends, smoking marijuana and skipping
school. Evan, age 10, was recently diagnosed with leukemia; however, he has not yet started
treatments. Evan’s doctors have recommended chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone
marrow transplant. Sarah and Joe intend to follow this treatment plan.
Mike Maldonado is age 36. He currently works for a state University as a tenured faculty of
the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Mike was recently diagnosed with HIV.
Dan was Mike’s husband. He recently passed away at the age of 38 due to an AIDS-related
illness. They were married for 10 years. Mike and Dan did not have any children.
Becky is age 33. She is divorced and working on the family produce farm as well as
attending a local college at night to complete her bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology. She
has one child, Abe. Abe is age 12. He is a good student, but his behavior has changed recently, showing
anger and defiance towards both of his parents and several teachers at school. His
mother, Becky, has been treating Abe’s behavioral changes with diet and alternative
medicines. Next, we will meet the Olson family.
Frederic Olson was married to Mary Olson. Mary passed away 10 years ago at the age of 77. Frederic is
age 87. Ella is the only child of Frederic and Mary Olson. Fredric has pronounced symptoms from Parkinson’s disease. He has tremors and balance problems,
along with muscle stiffness and gait (manor of walking) changes. He struggles to begin any
movement. However, once he is moving, he cannot stop easily. His gait has changed to smaller
steps and shuffling.
As he progresses through the stages of the disease, Frederic needs increasing assistance with his
activities of daily living (ADLs), which entails bathing, dressing, food preparation, eating, taking
medications, et cetera. He recently moved to an Assisted Living community and only leaves the
facility for medical appointments. The family visits Grandpa Frederic on an alternating schedule at
his new home every week. The Assisted Living community has regularly scheduled social events in
which Grandpa Frederic actively participates.
o Ella is married to John Miller. Ella and John are both 70 years old. John and Manny
Maldonado are best friends. Ella and Manny grew up together on their neighboring farms.
Ella and John recently sold their 10,000-acre farm to the Maldonado family since the two

Attachments:

• 1506408941-Family_document3.pdf