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Supportive Living Environments for Older Adults: Summary
CASE STUDY 1: SARAH
Sarah is a dynamic, independent woman living her best life after downsizing and moving to a villa in a 55+ golf community in Florida. She is 83 years old and lives about 20 minutes from her daughter and 10 minutes from her son. They typically go out for dinner two Sundays each month. Sarah is president of her homeowner’s association, is on the advisory committee for the lifelong learning center, and is known for her amazing sugar-free cookies that she bakes for everyone in the community. Sarah is in good health, managing her cholesterol and thyroid issues with medications. Occasionally, she gets migraines that are debilitating. Sarah is an active member at her church and loves having lunch with friends on Wednesdays. She has an active, full life and is the designated driver when she and her friends go out on adventures. Recently, after a day visiting thrift stores, Sarah was driving home and was hit from behind by another car. Initially, Sarah thought she was ok, but two days later, she was struggling with walking, so she decided to lay low, get some rest, and take some pain medication that she had from a dental surgery two years prior. Sarah ended up spending four days in bed and taking the medication every four hours, but she ultimately ran out. Her friends checked on her and realized that she wasn’t eating. The medication was causing her to be tired, and seemingly disconnected, but she was comfortable and had no energy to move much. Ultimately, as she ran out of medication, the pain returned and about a week after the accident, Sarah agreed to have a friend take her to the PCP for a refill of pain medicine. At the PCP visit, the provider realized that Sarah had not taken her regular medications as prescribed, and he became concerned about her well-being. The PCP scheduled a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, which showed a hip fracture, and she was immediately sent to an orthopedist, who determined she urgently needed surgery. Sarah underwent repair surgery for the fracture and then spent three weeks in rehab receiving intense therapy. She was able to go home to recover, received home health therapies, and slowly returned to health. About three months after the surgery, Sarah found that she was not eating meals after 4 p.m., as she was too tired to prepare a meal and lacked energy. Ultimately, she was lacking the nutrition necessary to have the energy she needed to function as she liked. She no longer enjoyed her involvement in the homeowner's association and didn’t feel safe driving. She was becoming more and more isolated and depressed. Her friends didn’t want to interfere or bother Sarah. She continued to see her children twice a month, but often that was canceled due to everyone’s busy schedules. Sarah lives on a small pension, but she owns her home. Her manageable monthly expenses maintaining the villa are about $1,000 per month. Her pension and Social Security total $3,800 per month.
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