Policy Proposals In your reading for this week, you meet Jose and Iris, two individuals who are in situations that require assistance and guidance from a professional social worker and policy advocate

Working With the Aging: The Case of Iris

Iris is a 78-year-old, divorced, Caucasian female who lives alone in a mid-sized Southern city. Her main sources of income are a pension from her more than 35 years of work as an elementary school teacher and monthly Social Security retirement benefits. Iris has no children but was married for 34 years. Two years ago her husband, completely to the surprise of Iris, announced that he wanted an immediate divorce and was planning to marry a much younger woman he had met just a few months earlier.

Within 2 years of her divorce, Iris started noticing increasing challenges with her mobility. One day she fell while carrying groceries and had to be hospitalized overnight for an injured knee. To help meet Iris’ needs during her convalescent period, the local Older Adults Services Agency (OASA) arranged for Iris to receive daily Meals on Wheels deliveries, and her health plan arranged for visiting nurses to see her once every 2 weeks. Within about 3 months, Iris recovered to the extent that she could again drive short distances and walk with the assistance of a cane.

Iris was determined to fully regain her independence, but she was rapidly approaching the age of 80 and had no family and few friends who could assist her. She nevertheless insisted on continuing to drive longer distances even though her driving skills were significantly impaired. Over the course of a 3-week period, Iris was involved in three vehicle accidents, one in someone’s driveway, one near her home, and the last one in the parking lot of her local grocery store. The first two incidents were fairly minor fender benders, but the last accident was much more serious. When parking and getting out of her car, Iris neglected to place the vehicle in park and the car rolled backward, with the open door striking Iris and one of the vehicle’s tires running over her right foot.

Iris was severely injured and was hospitalized for more than 2 weeks. The local police suspended Iris’ driver’s license, and she agreed to no longer drive. The hospital social worker arranged for Iris to stay for 4 weeks at a licensed long-term care facility upon discharge. After her stay there, staff at the OASA found a moderately priced assisted living facility where Iris could live.

Iris is now living in the new facility, which includes about two dozen other older residents. She continues to tell the staff at the home and her OASA social worker that she is depressed, badly misses her independence, and wishes that she could go back to driving and traveling. Because Iris still has difficulty even getting back and forth to the bathroom and dining room, however, the prospects for this currently appear dim.

Reference

Plummer, S.-B, Makris, S., Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Concentration year.Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

"Working with Clients with Addictions: The Case of Jose" (pp. 65–68)

"Working with the Aging: The Case of Iris" (pp. 68–69)