Question

William Davis is 62 years old. He was employed as a postal worker until his declining eyesight forced him into early retirement a few months ago. His wife, Mildred, died last year of complications from diabetes after a prolonged and expensive hospitalization. Mr. Davis does not trust the medical community, and because of this distrust, he has not been to a doctor since his wife’s death. Mr. Davis is not considered legally blind, but his presbyopia and an advancing cataract in his right eye are starting to interfere with his ability to take care of himself. He still drives to the market once a week, but other drivers get angry and honk at him. He pays for his groceries with a credit card because he is afraid the cashier will cheat him if he accidentally gives her the wrong bills. He complains that the cleaning lady hides things from him and deliberately leaves the furniture out of place. When she leaves, he can’t find his slippers or an ashtray. Yesterday, he put his lit pipe down in a wooden bowl by accident. His son insists on taking him to see the ophthalmologist who treated his wife’s diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Hsing believes Mr. Davis’s sight can be improved in the right eye by performing cataract surgery. Mr. Davis listens in fear as the doctor explains. “Without this procedure, your sight will only get worse.” Mr. Davis thinks about all the medical procedures that were tried on Mildred, and she died any-way. He doesn’t want to go into the hospital, and he doesn’t want any operations. But his son is talking about taking away his car if he doesn’t do something about his failing sight. “What more can be taken away from me?” he thinks bitterly. “First my wife, then my job, and now my independence.”

Questions:

1. Discuss why cataract surgery would be scary to Mr. Davis and what Dr. Hsing and his staff could do to ease his apprehension.

2. If Mr. Davis does not go ahead with the surgery, what help might he receive from an agency for the visually impaired? What other services might be available to help him deal with his grief and depression?

Answer 1

1. Cataract surgery is scaring Mr.Davis

Rationale :

Davis wife Mildred had suffered with Diabetic retinopathy and went through many procedures as a treatment.Mildred might have been died with multiple complications of diabetes.But Davis was not aware of what exactly the reason she died.He might be thinking that the procedures which were performed over her eyes could also be the reason of her death and he lost the trust over doctors and the surgeries or procedures they performed.

Also Davis is in a fear of loosing his sight or his entire life because of those procedures same like Mildred.

2. His apprehension can only be removed by proper explanation of the reasons why Mildred died and the existing complications of her condition. Dr.Hsing and also his staff must explain the difference in the health condition between Mildred and Davis.Show some examples of surgeries performed over the patients and their prognosis and develop trust.

There are many service agencies that provide multiple favours to the older visually impaired persons.They provides services such as Emergency protective measures, provides foods, counselling, helps in house hold works, crisis intervention, provides house keepers, employs one health care provider.These are the services Davis can get from the agencies.Other services such as recreation through internet services, self help groups, occupational therapies and also rehabilitation programmes were conducted to avoid depression.