Long-term care decisions are often complex and highly emotional. They can present a radical departure from how life was intended. In this assignment, you will address a hypothetical, but very real, scenario that involves Mary and Don, an elderly married couple (provided in Course Content). Circumstances to be considered include extent of disability, living situation, financial state, service preferences, and specific questions presented to you in terms of their concerns and issues. 

This assignment may require you to make some assumptions about their situation in order to completely respond to the scenario. 

Apply long-term care concepts, programs, and services to a real life situation for millions of Americans – providing practical and evidence based advice to individuals regarding their options for addressing their long term care needs. 

Mary and Don Scenario: 
Don and Mary were happily married for 50 years and had two successful 
children and five grandchildren. Don and Mary met while serving in the US 
Army during the Korean Conflict. After their military service ended, they 
married and embarked on their careers. Don and Mary were healthcare 
professionals; Don was a professor at the local medical school, and Mary was a 
hospice nurse. Don and Mary were always active in their church and 
volunteered their time in the community. Both retired at age 65 to [pursue 
their dreams of international travel and spending their children's inheritance. 
During the early years of their retired life, the couple continued to work 
part time, travel extensively, and spend time with their grandkids. Their 
retirement plans seemed to be going swimmingly until Don noticed that his 
wife was having memory problems at the age of 78. Mary always kept up on 
the latest topics and was always first to complete the crossword puzzles and 
other logic games in the newspaper. However, Mary seemed to become 
increasingly forgetful; she would run errands to purchase specific items and 
return home empty-handed. The couple decided to seek help from a 
gerontologist. 
An extensive battery of cognitive and neuropsychological tests determined 
that Mary's language skills and mental abilities had markedly diminished. 
Mary was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, an incurable terminal brain 
disease. After the initial shock of the diagnosis, the couple developed a plan to 
cope with the disease – Don was going to be Mary's caregiver. The p 
progression of the disease was tough for Don and the family o watch. At first 
Mary became confused, then she became progressively irritable and aggressive. 
Five years after the diagnosis, Mary became almost totally withdrawn. Her 
appetite was nonexistent, and she became incontinent. Additionally, Mary 
suffered from "sundowners syndrome" – a phenomenon whereby the individual 
experiences confusion and exasperation during the late afternoon or early 
evening hours. 
Don struggled to care for her and keep an upbeat attitude; however, he 
was experiencing the deterioration of aging. After years of being a 
competitive runner, his knees and other joints prevented him from fully 
assisting Mary. Don </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> </s> 
. As Mary's condition grew more serious, 
I had to make a decision. He was no longer able to care for her, and his own 
ailments were starting to severely impact his ability to take care of himself. 
Additionally, their retirement savings had dwindled to the point that they 
needed financial assistance from family members to get by. The case of Mary 
and Don is not uncommon, the many seniors experience the inevitable choice of 
long-term care. 
Case Study Questions 
1. What long-term care options should I consider for Mary and himself? 
2. What are the requirements for the care you have chosen 
in Question 1? 
3. What funding mechanisms are available to Don and Mary, and how does 
this affect the choice of their care options? 
4. What could Don and Mary have done to plan their care during their later 
years?

5. What is your plan to prepare for the need for your 
long-term care?
5 Pages
Deadline: 1 days
Format: APA 

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