Revelo 1

Kisha Revelo

Judith R. McCann

English 1301-129

09 November 2022

One Man’s Burden is Another Man’s Blessing: A Caregiver’s Reality

Preconceived notions about caregivers and their full-time undertakings have long been in

existence; however, the lingering possibility that a caregiver’s experience can impact their

personal life and well-being remains under scrutiny. In the healthcare setting, the role of a

caregiver in an individual’s life can carry significant importance when it comes to overcoming

certain medical conditions. Patients turn to the access of caregivers, often their loved ones or

healthcare professionals, when the task of caring after themselves gradually reaches the extent of

being too difficult. Particularly, in cases of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD),

providing care for a patient is typically a duty that reserves a considerable amount of a

caregiver’s time. In addition, the COVID-19 isolation period was revealed to have sparked

obstacles in the job of caregivers for older adults with ADRD (Radhakrishnan et al. 217). In the

article, "“Please Don't Forget Us”: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Caregivers of Older

Adults With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias During the COVID-19 Pandemic.",

Kavita Radhakrishnan et al. effectively demonstrate their study on the impact of the COVID-19

pandemic on older adults with ADRD and their caregivers through evoking real emotional

settings to the audience, establishing credibility by referring to what may be considered strengths

and limitations, and citing different sources that provide comparable data to concede the authors’

findings.
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As proven from the strategies used by the authors, emotions are a driving force in nature

with the uncanny ability to serve as a steering wheel for a human being. The phrase “Please

Don’t Forget Us” in the article title creates a striking emotional impact early on, enticing the

audience as the premise of the article introduces a clear ground on the purpose of the study.

Without even delving into the entirety of the abstract, Kavita Radhakrishnan et al. gain the

opportunity to convey the fear of being forgotten. The emotional appeal is implemented as a

compelling force, contributing to the readers’ curiosity to discover the outcomes of the study.

Once the authors successfully capture the audience’s attention, the real-world implication of the

study is addressed as the COVID-19 pandemic, forming a further connection the readers may

relate to. With the qualitative study conducted during the isolation period of the COVID-19

pandemic, prior reviews of studies focused on the impact of COVID-19 isolation on older adults

with dementia reveal that “the impact is not going away in the foreseeable future”, fueling an

emotional response from the audience with an insinuated message that the matter can possibly

apply to anyone for the future generations to come (Radhakrishnan et al. 217). For the method of

data collection in the study, phone call interviews were used to execute semi-structured

interviews between investigator K.C.B. and the participants who are qualified as caregivers of an

older adult with ADRD. The verbatim transcriptions of the phone call interviews allow the

authors to construct an emotional setting within the audience, conveying the interviews in the

most genuine way possible. The questions asked in the interview were based on their older adult

with ADRD and their own perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their

caregiving experience. Particularly, in the section when the results are discussed, feelings of

uncertainty, guilt, and isolation were commonly seen within the caregivers’ responses, reflecting

on how their undertakings gradually took an emotional toll on them. One of the family caregivers
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sheds light on how the COVID-19 isolation period led to an exacerbation of dementia in their

older adult with ADRD as a nursing home resident when they admit, “Everything about her has

changed. She doesn’t have her verbal skills, no social skills, no interaction. So it’s affected

her…because I feel like that if COVID didn’t happen and we could still occasionally visit her

more, that it wouldn’t be this bad” (223). Evidently, the response is composed of feelings of

helplessness and isolation, eliciting an emotional reaction from the audience developed from the

vulnerability of the caregiver’s experience.

Within a scientific study that heavily aims to effectively deliver a credible stance,

acknowledging what may be considered as the strengths and weaknesses of their article

contributes to establishing higher regard for Kavita Radhakrishnan et al. as authors. Listing the

experiences and qualifications of the investigators and analysts and referring to different sources

relating to the given reports were a few of the approaches taken with the purpose of forming their

authority as authors. Prior to initiating the interview process for the study, it is stated that “[a]fter

Institutional Review Board approval” participants were recruited through multiple approaches

(Radhakrishnan et al. 218). Investigator K.C.B. is introduced as one of the main figures involved

in the development of the interview structure, along with her qualifications as an RN and

doctoral candidate, and background experience in the field. Throughout the account of how the

data was collected, the authors remain detailed in how their findings were analyzed and specifics

on the coding methods utilized. As coding categories began to develop, they explicitly state how

the process included their experienced qualitative coders training investigators in order to

generate constructive results with more feedback. On the other hand, limitations in the study

were acknowledged, as seen in the participant sample being too weak to consider gender

differences within the data results. As the authors present their methods and findings with full
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transparency, their credibility ultimately builds up, expressing their awareness of the different

perceptions the audience may possess.

The saying “knowledge is power” rings true as Radhakrishnan et al. settle on the use of

different sources to further support their findings, making possible connections and comparisons

to strengthen reports. The logical appeal is largely implemented throughout the discussion

section of the article, as the purpose and conclusions of the study are restated. As the study

examined symptoms of sleep disturbances and nighttime agitation in older adults with ADRD,

the reports done by the caregivers revealed a lack of resolution for the matter, directly affecting

the caregivers’ sleep habits. The authors followed their statement with information extracted

from another review of studies claiming that “caregivers had significantly lower sleep durations

akin to losing 2.42 to 3.5 hours of sleep each week…The lockdown imposed by the pandemic

worsened the ongoing caregiver sleep debt” (Radhakrishnan et al. 225). Intertwining with

strengthening the credibility of the authors’ claims, the findings gain additional support from

studies that received similar results, further appealing to the audience with more concrete

evidence. Although the use of logical appeal was not heavily relied on by the authors throughout

the article, it was likely not as necessary with the study being emotionally based. Most of the

evidence provided was personal experiences, which reflected upon the outcomes of the study.

Overall, Kavita Radhakrishnan et al. effectively present their study on the impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic on older adults with ADRD and their caregivers by illustrating real

emotional experiences to the audience, acknowledging strengths and limitations in their claims,

and quoting different sources that refer to data that further concede the authors’ findings. The

caregivers, family or professionals, of older adults with ADRD adhere to a full-time

commitment, as their lives become centered on their loved one or patient’s journey through their
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medical condition. Evidently, different factors will evidently affect the caregiver’s well-being,

especially amid a pandemic, when navigating life grows increasingly more difficult. However,

the outcome of the study paves the way for more researchers to conduct their own, contributing

to the future of caregiving amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Works Cited

Radhakrishnan, Kavita, et al. "“Please Don't Forget Us”: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of

Caregivers of Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias During the

COVID-19 Pandemic." Research in Gerontological Nursing, vol. 15, no. 5, 2022, pp.

217-228. ProQuest,

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/tamiu.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-j

ournals/please-dont-forget-us-descriptive-qualitative/docview/2714936252/se-2