The experiential approach is described as the way an illness is explained and perceived. This approach focuses on how one describes an illness to family, friends, doctors etc. This is called an illness narrative. The experiential approach contains three main components which are, the way an individual describe the illness (narrative), the way one feels and perceive the illness(experience), and the ways people makes sense of their illness(meaning). The main focus of the experiential approach is the Illness narrative. The narratives that individuals use to describe their illness can fall into three categories,
1)Restitution, 2)Chaos, and 3)Quest. The illness narrative contains six major structural features, abstract, orientation, complicating action, evaluation, result/resolution, and coda. In order for an illness narrative to be complete it must contain all six of the structural components.
1)Restitution, 2)Chaos, and 3)Quest. The illness narrative contains six major structural features, abstract, orientation, complicating action, evaluation, result/resolution, and coda. In order for an illness narrative to be complete it must contain all six of the structural components.
As a grandchild, I believed my grandmother was immune to every and anything. Overtime that vision slowly disappeared as my grandmother begin to age. Along with the aging came several health complications that all struck at once. It all began with a little memory loss. Forgetting where she placed certain items such as cash, checks, her purse, car keys etc. As a child, I thought absolutely nothing about her rare occasions of forgetting simple things like where she last placed her car keys. However, my uncle begin to realize that this rare memory loss was unlike his mother. She never forgot simple things like this, so he decided to have her pay a visit to the doctor. At the doctors office, my grandmother was diagnosed with late-set Alzheimer’s at the age of 70. Being a 12 year-old girl I did not understand what this was and how it would effect my grandmother in the future.
As time passed, her memory continued to slip away. She began to forget names, she even forgot my name. She could no longer match faces with names and she was unable to identify the environment where she resided. Around the ages of 79 to about 81, the disease began to hit home for her, me, uncles as well as other family members. However, even though her memory was gradually slipping away she did not let this disease hinder her from completing daily activities. She was still able to cook, clean, grocery shop, and drive.
As time passed, her memory continued to slip away. She began to forget names, she even forgot my name. She could no longer match faces with names and she was unable to identify the environment where she resided. Around the ages of 79 to about 81, the disease began to hit home for her, me, uncles as well as other family members. However, even though her memory was gradually slipping away she did not let this disease hinder her from completing daily activities. She was still able to cook, clean, grocery shop, and drive.
She believed that the disease was a quest, and she began to find herself. She became more involved with church and God. She did not feel sorry for herself and did not want others to show sympathy. She was not at all embarrassed about her condition, and did not care what others had to say about her and the disease. Friends and other members of society were very accepting of the disease and did not treat her any different then they would have if she was not diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Most of her friends were patient and willing to help with caring for her and attempting to help her regain her memory. As a family, we knew that the disease was beginning to take a toll on her once she began to forget how to drive, where she was, and the people that surrounded her.
The disease continued to progress and things only got worse. All in one day it happened. My grandmother was rushed to the hospital because she had fell and hurt herself while attempting to do yard work. Three days after she was admitted into the hospital, I went to visit her and what I saw was terrible. It was my grandmother lying on the hospital bed unable to identify me and my other relatives, no longer able to talk, use the bathroom or eat on her own. At this stage, it was amazing that one can just slip away so fast. After she was released from the hospital, I found myself at the age of 15 the caregiver of a patient with Alzheimer’s. She was now at her final stage of Alzheimer’s where she could no longer communicate with us or take care of herself. Everything had to be done for her by someone else. To feeding, washing, brushing her hair and teeth, to changing her depends. It was the end and we all knew it. A year after my grandmother reached the stage of an infant she passed away in the hospital from Alzheimer’s disease.
References:
Firth, Shannon. “Why Music Matters for Alzheimer’s Patients.” finding Dulcinea.
March 2, 2009.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/2009/feb/Why-Music-Matters-for
Alzheimer-s-Patients.html
Kaylee, Alzheimer’s Association, April 3, 2013. http://www.volunteerlocal.com/blog/alzheimers-
association/.
“Alzheimer’s Disease: A subject close to home.” Photographers Blog (blog), September 24, 2009 (19:54
UTC),
http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/tag/alzheimers-disease/
The disease continued to progress and things only got worse. All in one day it happened. My grandmother was rushed to the hospital because she had fell and hurt herself while attempting to do yard work. Three days after she was admitted into the hospital, I went to visit her and what I saw was terrible. It was my grandmother lying on the hospital bed unable to identify me and my other relatives, no longer able to talk, use the bathroom or eat on her own. At this stage, it was amazing that one can just slip away so fast. After she was released from the hospital, I found myself at the age of 15 the caregiver of a patient with Alzheimer’s. She was now at her final stage of Alzheimer’s where she could no longer communicate with us or take care of herself. Everything had to be done for her by someone else. To feeding, washing, brushing her hair and teeth, to changing her depends. It was the end and we all knew it. A year after my grandmother reached the stage of an infant she passed away in the hospital from Alzheimer’s disease.
References:
Firth, Shannon. “Why Music Matters for Alzheimer’s Patients.” finding Dulcinea.
March 2, 2009.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/2009/feb/Why-Music-Matters-for
Alzheimer-s-Patients.html
Kaylee, Alzheimer’s Association, April 3, 2013. http://www.volunteerlocal.com/blog/alzheimers-
association/.
“Alzheimer’s Disease: A subject close to home.” Photographers Blog (blog), September 24, 2009 (19:54
UTC),
http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/tag/alzheimers-disease/