Suggested answers are in italics.
‘Convincing eighty-two year old Toby that he should move into a care home had been easier than Andrea had anticipated.’
32. Toby is worried about moving into your care home. What could he be worried about?
• Is he going to be properly looked after?
• Will he regret the decision?
• Are his family going to visit him regularly or slowly forget about him?
• What will become of his house, his furniture, his gardening tools?
• Will he make new friends?
• What will become of his savings?
• Will he be able to make phone calls?
• Will he be allowed to go out with his daughters for the day?
33. What benefits will Toby enjoy when he moves into your care home?
• No worries for him or his daughters about shopping, cooking his meals, washing up.
• No worries about washing and ironing his clothes.
• No worries about heating bills.
• His medicines are ordered for him and given to him regularly.
• He can make arrangements to visit his daughters or they can visit him whenever it’s convenient.
• He has constant supervision and care.
• Should he have another fall, help is at hand straight away.
‘Mrs Primrose Jenkins and Miss Zoe Mitchell sat on either side of the office desk. The one was secure and certain about her future, the other was feeling insecure and uncertain about her future…’
‘Now, what is it that’s so important?’ ‘I think I might be pregnant.’
34. If you had been listening to this conversation what thoughts might have been going through your mind?
• Mrs Jenkins disapproves of Zoe getting pregnant.
• Mrs Jenkins is jealous of Zoe being pregnant because she has no children.
• Zoe is being made to feel ashamed of what she has done.
• They represent two generations who do not understand or appreciate one other.
35. Which of the following might be a carer in your care home and which a resident? And which could be either? How do you decide?
Gemma, Edna, Zoe, Donna
Jade, Mabel, Beryl, Leanne
Gladys, Doreen, Winifred, Anne
Victoria, Emma, Ruby, Daisy
You probably decide by thinking of people you know with these names. I have never cared for a resident called Gemma or one called Donna! Who names their daughter ‘Edna’ these days?
36. In what ways might Zoe Mitchell’s future differ from
Primrose Jenkins’s future?
• Mrs Jenkins has a future which appears to be predictable, Zoe’s future is not.
• Mrs Jenkins has a future that appears to be financially secure, Zoe’s future is not.
• One is in a stable relationship, the other not. Ah, but which one? Don’t pre-judge people!
‘Lucy had been unprepared for her husband’s sudden death, exactly three years ago to the day, the sixth of August. Apparently, he had collapsed and died in the garden.’
37. Lucy and Doug were unprepared for something that was inevitable. How could this have been avoided?
• Nobody is able to predict the time of their death, but as age creeps along it would be wise to think about the fact that you will be on your own one day, or that your partner will be.
• By discussing aspects of death with your partner.
• By making a will.
• By making family members aware of funeral matters such as burial or cremation, favourite hymns.
• By making sure insurance policies are able to be found easily.
• By making sure that organ donor wishes are known about.
‘Rose’s well kept secret came to light in a most unexpected way.’
38. Why do you suppose Old Rose kept this matter a secret for so long?
• Because she was ashamed of it.
• Her attitude was, ‘It’s none of your business!’
• It was in the distant past and didn’t matter to Rose any more.
• She thought she might be criticised for not trying to find the missing child.
• She thought somebody else might try to find the missing child.
39. What might be the reason for Rose telling Zoe about it?
• She believed they were both in a similar situation, though generations apart:
• A man had ‘had his way’ with each of them.
• Each was ‘with child’ as a result.
• Each was pregnant without a husband.
• She wanted Zoe to be a good mother, to value motherhood.
• She was still grieving for her lost child.
• She felt the need to tell someone about this incident before she died. Elderly people often feel a need to tell someone about something that is not generally known before they die.
40. If you were Zoe would you promise Rose that you would tell nobody about her secret?
• Yes, and I wouldn’t tell anyone.
• Yes, but then I would tell the manager or her deputy and stress that what Rose told me was in confidence.
• The story, at face value, should be officially noted in Rose’s resident file. Though very unlikely, there may be legal problems regarding ‘next of kin’ when Rose dies. Best to make a note of Rose’s story and be prepared for the unexpected.