Henry and Ertha Williams Case Study

Strengths

            The first Henry’s strengths include the presence of his wife. This removes loneliness and can
not only provide him with the necessary support but also hope. The second strength includes
Henry’s religiousness as he attends the Baptist church regularly. Religion can enable him cope well
with his health because studies indicate that individuals who are more committed to their spiritual
conviction and religious faith are happier and have enough coping resources at their disposal
compared to the persons who do not value spirituality and religion (Gallegos & Segrin, 2019). The
third strength is that Henry is capable of managing the medication. According to Manias et al.
(2016), making sure that medications or drugs are accurately and safely taken is the basis of safe and
secure medical care. Henry knows how to time medication, and this can play an essential role in
improving the general control of his illness. The fourth strength is Henry’s connections to his
community. This is important in improving his mental, emotional, and physical health and wellbeing.
The last strength is Henry’s is recognition for the need for help. The aid he is likely to receive from
care providers such as nurses can help in his recovery as well as management of his condition.

Concerns

            One of the concerns is the loss of Henry’s son, Anthony, who passed away in a war. The wife
cries a lot every time she remembers Anthony is dead, and things increases anxiety in the family.
Another concern for Henry is his wife’s increasing memory loss or lapses. The wife cannot move
alone because Henry believes she can get lost. She forgets things more often, therefore, requires
careful watching. The wife’s condition worries him a lot and leads to his disquiet. Henry’s anxiety is
also another concern that can lead to serious health issues including depression (Suarez et al., 2019).
Anxiety can also result in chest pain, palpitations, and heart rate. The last concern is caregiver strain
in providing support for the wife.

Cause of Concern

            The causes of concern include possible financial problems, frustrations with wife’s increased
dependence on him, loss of sleep, and anxiety. To start with, financial problems can be attributed
medication expenses being that Henry and Ertha have retired from their formal jobs. Not only could
they experience challenges in purchasing medicine but also affording nutritious diet that would help
in their recovery. Subsequently, Ertha increasing dependence on Henry leads to another challenging
provision of support and care. Henry is new to such dependency and this can result in unnecessary
burden. Loss of sleep, on the other hand, can lead to fatigue and weakness.

Needed Information and Next Step

            It would be essential to learn more in regard Henry’s cardiovascular disease as well as the
level of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It would be vital to determine the extent of
Ertha’s memory losses or lapses, and asses the available resources for the couple, for example, if
they can go to an adult day-care. In the same vein, it is vital to explore the need for assisted living
care, nursing home, or home care. The above information would be vital in the prevention of
complications and creation of an elaborate treatment plan for Henry and his wife.

Henry’s Experience
            Henry experiences stress and an acute exacerbation of obstructive pulmonary disease,
therefore, needs follow-up and teachings for new medications and oxygen. He also experiences
shortness of breath and fatigue, which are signs and symptoms of a cardiovascular disease.

References

Gallegos, M. L., & Segrin, C. (2019). Exploring the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship
between spirituality and health: Implications for the Latino health paradox. Psychology of Religion
and Spirituality, 11(3), 308.

Manias, E., Gerdtz, M., Williams, A., McGuiness, J., & Dooley, M. (2016). Communicating about the
management of medications as patients move across transition points of care: an observation and
interview study. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 22(5), 635-643.

Suarez, G. L., Morales, S., Metcalf, K., & Pérez‐Edgar, K. E. (2019). Perinatal complications are
associated with social anxiety: Indirect effects through temperament. Infant and Child
Development, 28(3), e2130.