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John Assesses Options

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John recorded whether his potential options were relevant and practical

POSSIBLE OPTIONS

Relevance
(Yes/Partly/No/?)
Practicality
(Yes/Partly/No/?)
Taking my mother home until the chronic care place becomes available Yes Yes
Leaving my mother in hospital until the chronic care place becomes available Yes Yes
Letting my mother choose for herself where she wants to be. Yes Yes
A mixture of my mother staying for limited periods of time with me, and with periods in the hospital
Variants:        
  1. John taking time off work for a few weeks, to provide full care followed by his mother staying in hospital

  2. John, or his mother, taking a loan so that she can stay somewhere else or pay to get medical help in the home

  3. The mother staying in hospital most of the time with away-days and weekends with John when he can provide full care

  4. John finding others - friends, neighbours, paid help - to also provide home care for his mother
Yes ?


(some things need to be determined such as whether John could get time of work, whether they could get a loan, whether it would be possible to get away-days from hospital, and whether others could provide help)

 


John recorded how well his potential options satisfy his values

ASSESSING OPTIONS

OPTIONS
 
VALUES (weight)
Option A

Mother home for the "last summer"
Option B

Mother stays in hospital
Option C

Mother chooses
Option D

Mixture of home and hospital
Protecting mother's emotional health

(weight - 5)

 

2

(probably won't have the depression she might get if  in hospital, but she might suffer fear and disorientation at home)

2

(danger of her depression - depends on what 'institutionalisation' is like and I could alleviate this by visiting often etc.)


?

(don't know what she'll choose so can't judge)

 

 

4

(some danger to her emotional health wherever but mixed option means can be flexible -and she should avoid the depression of the hospital only option and the fear of being left home alone)
Protecting mother's medical welfare

(weight - 5)

 

0

(grave danger to mother's medical health when left home alone)

 

5

(medical health safest)

 

?

(don't know what she'll choose so can't judge)


4

(some danger but this option allows flexibility - mother not left alone and can check on when it is safe for mother to be out of hospital)
My life not being severely and negatively affected

(weight - 5)
1

(this option puts many great burdens on me, and if the worst were to happen I might feel terrible guilt)
2

(doesn't put any great short term burdens on me, but I might come to regret and feel guilty about not doing more in the future)
?

(don't know what she'll choose so can't judge)

 

4

(with this option I can put a lot of time and care into looking after my mother but without risking important aspects of my own life)
Mother getting what she wants

(weight - 3)

 

?

(hard to tell as not sure what she'll choose)



?

(hard to tell as not sure what she'll choose)

 

4

(if she chooses herself she will get what she wants - although these is some question about whether she can choose what she wants due to her lack of lucidity)
4

(with this option mother can choose when she would prefer to beout of hosptial on away days and when stay in hospital - she can't choose to stay at home all the time though)
Me feeling I've done all I reasonably can

(weight - 2)

 

4

(with this option I will certianly be doing a lot for my mother but some doubt about the wisdom of what I am doing)

0

(this doesn't seem to be all I can reasonably do)

 

 

?

(don't know what she'll choose so can't judge)



 

4

(with this option I will be doing a lot for my mother,, and what I'm doing seems to be reasonable)

 

My life not being mildly and negatively affected (1)

 

0

(my life will be - at the very least- mildly and negatively affected by this option)
0

(my life will be - at the very least- mildly and negatively affected by this option)
0

(don't know what mother will choose but whatever it is it seems certain that my life will be - at the very least- mildly and negatively affected by this option)
0

(my life will be - at the very least- mildly and negatively affected by this option)
Options in Order of Preference
(1, 2, 3...)

 

3

less favourable than option B due to the increased danger to mother's medical health without reasonable expectation of much better emotional well-being 
2 ?

hard to assess because of uncertainty over what mother would choose - dpoubts though that whatever mother chooses is acceptable because of the possibility that she might choose something that is unwise for her (especially given her lack of lucidity on some occasions) and could severely and negatively affect my life
1

does better than option A for all three weighty values, and better than option B for emotional health and not severely affecting my life - slightly worse however for medical health. Also better than option B for satisfying mother's wishes. Hard to compare with option C as so much unknown but the risks attached to this option (if mother chooses something that was dangerous for her and could severally and negatively affect me) make it not first choice

 


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