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Barbara
and Mary - A Case Study
Barbara is a spry eight-five year old living at home in
Carmel-by-the-Sea. She and her late husband moved to Carmel
when Walter retired after a long career with a San Jose
defense contractor. They lived happily in Carmel for fifteen
years until a year ago when Walter passed away. Barbara
has one daughter. Mary and her three daughters live in Marin
County, north of San Francisco and three hours north of
Carmel. She is a successful marketing manager at a San Francisco
advertising firm. Mary and Barbara have always been close
and have been able to get together about once a month since
Walter's death.
Several
months ago Barbara began to complain about feeling
"blue", and spoke of bouts with melancholy
and loneliness. She expressed a desire to see Mary
more often and she began to call her at home and work
several times a week. Two months ago, Mary was called
from the local hospital emergency room where Barbara
had been taken after a fall in her home. A neighbor
heard her screams and called 911. Mary immediately
drove to Carmel to be with her Mother. She was released
from the hospital the next day with only minor bruises.
Barbara expressed her desire to have Mary stay with
her for a while and Mary took a week off from work
to be with her mother. Mary's husband was glad to
help out with the children and Mary had a good time
visiting.
After
her accident, Barbara appeared to be less confident
about living alone. She seemed to be afraid she would
fall again and tended to stay close to home. She talked
with Mary quite frequently at home and at work. Mary
was visiting her mother every other weekend and her
family was beginning to complain about her absences.
Her boss at work was also concerned about the time
Mary had been spending tending to her mother. <Next>
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