1. Interpret the relationship between morality and faith, as it relates to life’s journey between the known to the unknown. (CLO 3)
2. Define stress, stressor, and stress reactions. (CLO 2 and 3)
3. Explain resilience, its relation to trauma and individual differences in resilience. (CLO 2 and 3)
4. Analyze, propose and report on a policy recommendation as it relates to healthy aging. (CLO 2 and 4)

Directions:

Read the following scenario and post your first response in the discussion, then respond to one or more post:

Irshad, now 68, came to the United States from Bangladesh when she was 40, and is now on Medicare. Her son, Aziz, is now 42 and has started his own software business 200 miles away from home. Her 35-year-old daughter, Shaila, lived with her mother when she was a student at a local university. Upon graduation, she left her hometown to take up a position in the governor’s office at the state capital 150 miles away from her mother. Two years after the move, she learned that her mother, Irshad, had developed terminal cancer. She is now back living with her mother and devotes almost all of her time in providing the care her mother needs. While Aziz comes to see his mother at least once a month, Shaila serves as the primary caregiver. She cooks meals for the family, takes her mother to the clinic almost every week, manages all of the financial affairs , and keeps all of the relatives in Bangladesh, in Canada, and in England informed about her mother’s changing health condition. The only people she sees are those who come to visit her mother. Irshad continues to do her prayers five times a day according to Islamic religious tradition, shares the teaching of Islam with her two children, and maintains contact with the religious leader, who lives in a neighboring community. In addition, she provides consultation to both Shaila and Aziz in matters related to employment, religious tradition, and social obligations. For their part both adult children display a great deal of respect and affection for their ailing mother and do their best to provide the highest quality of care that is humanely possible” (p. 96).

by Fried, S. B. & Mehrotra, C. M. (1998). Aging and diversity: An active learning experience. Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Francis

Please reflect upon this scenario of Aziz and Shaila in the context of caring for their mother who has a terminal illness. That is, consider the text material covering meaning and stress AND how the support services offered through Hospice might relieve some of the pressure associated with caregiving.