Herr Ott
Mr. Ott, 54 years old at the time of the interview, cared for his mother, who suffered from dementia, for six years. She passed away the year before the interview. His mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia. Mr. Ott lives and works in the northeastern part of Switzerland; his mother lived in central Switzerland. Thanks to the fact that he is self-employed, Mr. Ott was able to arrange his schedule flexibly during the week and to interrupt his work at short notice when his mother needed help. On weekends, he was regularly with her to manage household chores and keep her company. After a fall at home, his mother was transferred to a nursing home, where she died a few months later. Mr. Ott has a brother who also lives in central Switzerland and took over administrative matters for his mother. Mr. Ott did not experience his mother's dementia as a major disruption in their relationship to one another, as he had always played the role of his mother's close caregiver and had cared for her since his father's death 20 years ago. In addition to the support, she received from her sons, Mr. Ott’s mother got help from the outpatient nursing and visiting service as well as from those in the neighborhood.
AUDIO
Mr. Ott felt morally conflicted about concealing from his mother that he was transferring her to a home.
Mr. Ott did not manage to have a conversation with his mother about the nursing home. Out of consideration for his mother, he decided to refrain from informing her about the plan to transfer her to the nursing home; he did not want to frighten her. This, in turn, triggered in him a sense of moral concern about whether it was right to conceal the information.
Video Interview
TRANSCRIPT
Related experiences
Herr Jenny und Herr Jenny
Slipping into the role of caretaker causes Mr. Jenny trouble.
Whether Mr. Jenny has eaten a hot meal, his brother is often not sure. He thinks his brother sometimes overplays the situation, which puts him in a clinch because he has to take on the role of chaperone. He wrestles with himself again and again.
Processes of adaptation
Herr Sonderegger
Mr. Sonderegger comes into moral conflict with himself because he has to patronize his wife and restrict her freedom of movement.
Mr. Sonderegger recently installed a fence in the garden to prevent his wife from falling as much as possible and thus avert potential complicated medical interventions. It remains a moral conflict for him to patronize his wife and restrict her freedom of movement.
Processes of adaptation
Other experiences by Herr Ott
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott, 54 years old at the time of the interview, cared for his mother, who suffered from dementia, for six years. She passed away the year before the interview. His mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia. Mr. Ott lives and works in the northeastern part of Switzerland; his mother lived in central Switzerland. Thanks to the fact that he is self-employed, Mr. Ott was able to arrange his schedule flexibly during the week and to interrupt his work at short notice when his mother needed help. On weekends, he was regularly with her to manage household chores and keep her company. After a fall at home, his mother was transferred to a nursing home, where she died a few months later. Mr. Ott has a brother who also lives in central Switzerland and took over administrative matters for his mother. Mr. Ott did not experience his mother's dementia as a major disruption in their relationship to one another, as he had always played the role of his mother's close caregiver and had cared for her since his father's death 20 years ago. In addition to the support, she received from her sons, Mr. Ott’s mother got help from the outpatient nursing and visiting service as well as from those in the neighborhood.
Herr Ott
Among other factors, Mr. Ott's mother's uncooperative behavior undermined his plan to care for her at home with the help of a nurse.
Among other factors, Mr. Ott's mother's uncooperative behavior undermined his plan to care for her at home with the help of a nurse. This was the case despite the fact that his mother did not want to be cared for in an institution.
Processes of adaptation
Dementia
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott felt morally conflicted about concealing from his mother that he was transferring her to a home.
Mr. Ott did not manage to have a conversation with his mother about the nursing home. Out of consideration for his mother, he decided to refrain from informing her about the plan to transfer her to the nursing home; he did not want to frighten her. This, in turn, triggered in him a sense of moral concern about whether it was right to conceal the information.
Processes of adaptation
Dementia
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott can summon up great understanding for his mother's aggressive or uncooperative behavior. He acknowledges that not everyone can respond to her difficult behaviors as well, though.
Mr. Ott can summon up great understanding for his mother's aggressive or uncooperative behavior. He says she reacts that way when she feels surprised or cornered; is afraid; or perceives her own limitations. Mr. Ott acknowledges that not everyone can respond to her difficult behaviors as well, though.
Processes of adaptation
Dementia
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott advocated for a specialized assessment for his mother.
The fact that the attending physician did not want to further examine Mr. Ott’s mother and instead recommended transferring her to a home did not align with Mr. Ott's and his mother's preferences and priorities. Mr. Ott advocated for a specialized workup for his mother.
Diagnosis
Dementia
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott experiences the institution where his mother stays as being inflexible and impersonal in dealing with patients' needs.
The search to find a place where for his mother to rest in after the exhausting dementia assessments proved futile. Mr. Ott experiences the institution where his mother stays as being inflexible and impersonal in dealing with patients' needs.
Four levels of communication of the caregivers
Dementia
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott advocates for reducing the dosage and number of medications that elderly people receive.
Mr. Ott is sympathetic to the need for care, but nevertheless finds the immobilization of dementia patients in nursing homes depressing and inhumane. He is in favor of reducing the dose and number of medications that elderly people receive.
What helps? - Caregivers' perspective
Dementia
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott's mother was taken to hospital after a fall at home and, from there, against Mr. Ott’s preferences and against his mother’s will, she was taken to a nursing home. This series of events gnaws at Mr. Ott's conscience.
Mr. Ott's mother was hospitalized after a fall at home and from there, against Mr. Ott’s preferences and against his mother’s will, she was moved to a nursing home. However, due to the dynamics among the residents, his mother felt uncomfortable in the home, and Mr. Ott moved her to another nursing institution where she died a few months later. This series of events gnaws at Mr. Ott's conscience.
At home or in a nursing home?
Dementia
Herr Ott
Mr. Ott intervened with the primary care physician after his mother’s activity levels and independence decreased as a result of taking a neuroleptic medication.
Mr. Ott’s mother’s activity levels and independence decreased after she began taking a neuroleptic. She behaved apathetically, which led Mr. Ott to intervene with the family doctor and request that the medication be discontinued.
Therapeutic approaches
Dementia
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