How do Ruby’s caregiving responsibilities affect her developmental opportunities in late adulthood?

Words: 1550
Pages: 6
Subject: Premium Writing

Case Study 9.2: Ms. Ruby Johnson, Caretaker for 3 Generations
1. Discuss Ruby’s life structure and the pattern of stability and change reflected in her life.
2. How do Ruby’s caregiving responsibilities affect her developmental opportunities in late adulthood?
3. Who is “responsible” for taking care of Ruby? Who should be responsible for her care?

Ms. Ruby Johnson is a handsome woman who describes herself as a “hard-boiled, 71-year-old African American” who spent the first 30 years of her life in Harlem, until she settled in the Bronx, New York. She married at 19 and lived with her husband until her 30th birthday. During her initial assessment for case management services, she explained her divorce with what appeared to be great pride. On her 29th birthday, Ruby told her husband that he had one more year to choose between “me and the bottle.” She tolerated his daily drinking for another year, but when he came home drunk on her 30th birthday, she took their 6-year-old daughter and left him and, she explained, “never looked back.”
Ruby immediately got a relatively high-paying -albeit tedious-job working for the postal service. At the same time, she found the Bronx apartment, in which she has resided for the past 41 years. Ruby lived there with her daughter, Darlene, for 18 years until she “put that girl out” on what she describes as the saddest day of her life.
Darlene was 21 when she made Ruby the grandmother of Tiffany, a vivacious little girl in good health. A year later, Darlene began using drugs when Tiffany’s father abandoned them. By the time Darlene was 24, she had a series of warnings and arrests for drug possession and prostitu-tion. Ruby explained that it “broke my heart that my little girl was out there sellin’ herself for drug money.” Continuing the story in an unusually angry tone, she explained that “I wasn’t gonna have no ‘ho’ live in my house.”
During her initial interview, Ruby’s anger was betrayed by a flicker of pride when she explained that Darlene, now 46, has been drug-free for more than 20 years. Tiffany is
25 and lives with her husband and two children. They have taken Darlene into their home to help Ruby. Ruby flashed a big smile when she shared that “Tiffany and Carl [her husband] made me a great-grandma twice, and they are taking care of Darlene for me now.” Darlene also has a younger daughter-Rebecca-from what Ruby describes as another “bad” relationship with a “no-good man.”
Rebecca, age 16, has been living with Ruby for the past 2 veard more supervistend having dificulty in schoo any needed more supervision than Darlene was able to provide.
In addition, about a year ago, Ruby became the care provider for her father, George. He is 89 and moved inte Ruby’s apartment because he was no longer able to live independently after his brother’s death. On most week-nights, Ruby cooks for her father, her granddaughter, and everyone at Tiffany’s house as well. Ruby says she Loves having her family around, but she just doesn’t have half the energy she used to have.
Ruby retired 5 years ago from the postal service, where she worked for 36 years. In addition to her pension and social security, she now earns a small amount for working part-time providing childcare for a former coworker’s daughter.
Ruby explains that she has to take the extra work in order to cover her father’s prescription expenses not covered by his Medicare benefits and to help pay medical/prescription bills for Tiffany’s household. Tiffany and Carl receive no medical benefits from their employers and have been considering lowering their income to qualify for Medicaid benefits. As this is being written in 2017, they are confused about the future of the Affordable Care Act. Ruby wants them to keep working, so she has been trying to use her connections to get them jobs with the postal service. Ruby reports this to be her greatest frustration, because her best postal service contacts are “either retired or dead.” Although Ruby’s health is currently stable, she is particularly concerned that it may worsen. She is diabetic and insulin dependent and worries about all the family members for whom she feels responsible. During the initial interview, Ruby confided that she thinks her physical demise has begun. Her greatest fear is death; not for herself, she says, but for the effect it would have on her family. She then asked her social worker to help her find a way to ensure their well-being after her
death.
Ms. Ruby Johnson is a handsome woman who describes herself as a “hard-boiled, 71-year-old African American” who spent the first 30 years of her life in Harlem, until she settled in the Bronx, New York. She married at 19 and lived with her husband until her 30th birthday. During her initial assessment for case management services, she explained her divorce with what appeared to be great pride. On her 29th birthday, Ruby told her husband that he had one more year to choose between “me and the bottle.” She tolerated his daily drinking for another year, but when he came home drunk on her 30th birthday, she took their 6-year-old daughter and left him and, she explained, “never looked back.”
Ruby immediately got a relatively high-paying -albeit tedious-job working for the postal service. At the same time, she found the Bronx apartment, in which she has resided for the past 41 years. Ruby lived there with her daughter, Darlene, for 18 years until she “put that girl out” on what she describes as the saddest day of her life.
Darlene was 21 when she made Ruby the grandmother of Tiffany, a vivacious little girl in good health. A year later, Darlene began using drugs when Tiffany’s father abandoned them. By the time Darlene was 24, she had a series of warnings and arrests for drug possession and prostitu-tion. Ruby explained that it “broke my heart that my little girl was out there sellin’ herself for drug money.” Continuing the story in an unusually angry tone, she explained that “I wasn’t gonna have no ‘ho’ live in my house.”
During her initial interview, Ruby’s anger was betrayed by a flicker of pride when she explained that Darlene, now 46, has been drug-free for more than 20 years. Tiffany is
25 and lives with her husband and two children. They have taken Darlene into their home to help Ruby. Ruby flashed a big smile when she shared that “Tiffany and Carl [her husband] made me a great-grandma twice, and they are taking care of Darlene for me now.” Darlene also has a younger daughter-Rebecca-from what Ruby describes as another “bad” relationship with a “no-good man.”
Rebecca, age 16, has been living with Ruby for the past 2 veard more supervistend having dificulty in schoo any needed more supervision than Darlene was able to provide.
In addition, about a year ago, Ruby became the care provider for her father, George. He is 89 and moved inte Ruby’s apartment because he was no longer able to live independently after his brother’s death. On most week-nights, Ruby cooks for her father, her granddaughter, and everyone at Tiffany’s house as well. Ruby says she Loves having her family around, but she just doesn’t have half the energy she used to have.
Ruby retired 5 years ago from the postal service, where she worked for 36 years. In addition to her pension and social security, she now earns a small amount for working part-time providing childcare for a former coworker’s daughter.
Ruby explains that she has to take the extra work in order to cover her father’s prescription expenses not covered by his Medicare benefits and to help pay medical/prescription bills for Tiffany’s household. Tiffany and Carl receive no medical benefits from their employers and have been considering lowering their income to qualify for Medicaid benefits. As this is being written in 2017, they are confused about the future of the Affordable Care Act. Ruby wants them to keep working, so she has been trying to use her connections to get them jobs with the postal service. Ruby reports this to be her greatest frustration, because her best postal service contacts are “either retired or dead.” Although Ruby’s health is currently stable, she is particularly concerned that it may worsen. She is diabetic and insulin dependent and worries about all the family members for whom she feels responsible. During the initial interview, Ruby confided that she thinks her physical demise has begun. Her greatest fear is death; not for herself, she says, but for the effect it would have on her family. She then asked her social worker to help her find a way to ensure their well-being after her
death.