Hi, Could you all please help me edit my paper, I am not sure if it is well written. I am stressed out because i am over the page limit and I know I can't shorten it any more thatn I already have. Anyways Thanks in Advance.
Although it is the individual who experiences a disability or illness, it is the family who must usually bear the primary caregiving responsibilities (Levine, 2004). A complex situation is created for all family members who can be affected negatively or positively by the chronic illness. The movie, Marvin's Room, exemplifies in many ways how chronic illness can affect the family. Marvin's Room is about two sisters who have very different attitudes toward familial responsibilities and duties regarding their dying father. The movie shows how the two estranged sisters are forcefully reunited through a cancer diagnosis which makes them deal with a number of issues with each other that they've never resolved, many concerning their responses to Marvin's illness. This paper will analyze how chronic illness affects the family caregiver as portrayed in the movie, Marvin's Room.
Family caregivers often suffer adverse health, financial, and psychosocial effects because of their role. Caregivers have vulnerable health with nearly 32.3 percent reporting serious health problems (Levine, 2004). Caregiving is a time consuming job which can translate into stress for people. Stress has been shown to either cause or exacerbate 70 to 90 percent of all medical conditions (Levine, 2004). Stress also increases a person's vulnerability to far more serious conditions, such as, increased heart disease, stroke and cancer (Paul & Del Orto, 2004). Caregiving is associated with psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and insomnia (Schultz, & Sherwood, 2008). Research shows that caregivers who provide assistance 20 hours or more per week resulted in increased depression and psychological distress, impaired self care and poorer self reported health (Lee & Gramotnev, 2007). Caregiving has the potential to cause financial strain on families. Approximately 20 percent of caregivers have to quit their jobs and 40 percent have to reduce their work hours in order to provide care (Hebert & Schultz, 2006). Caregivers often have other family responsibilities that conflict with full assumption of the caregiving role; these demands make it challenging to address the needs of other family members which often lead to family conflict (Hebert & Schultz). Caregivers may have loss or change of roles which can lead to intangible losses such as loss of hope, plans or dreams (Lee & Gramotnev, 2007). Many consequences of family care are apparent and well documented in the literature.
Caregiving can have positive outcomes or beneficial effects for caregivers. Caregivers reported that caregiving makes them feel good about themselves leading to personal growth and self acceptance, gives meaning to their lives, enables them to learn new skills, strengthens their relationship with others, and encourages autonomy (Hogstel, Curry, & Walker, 2001). Individuals who provided support to friends, families or neighbors and people who provided emotional support to their spouses had lower five year mortality rates than individuals who did not help others (Schultz & Sherwood, 2008). Caregiving can also provide the sense of feeling connected to others, which can decrease isolation (Larsen & Lubken, 2009). Although benefits of caregiving have been a neglected area, it is possible for caregiving to be a satisfying and rewarding experience.
In Marvin's Room, Bessie is dying of cancer, struggling to offer personal home health care to her dying father, with a limited income, and only another aging, half-crazed aunt to help her. Although Bessie's life has not been easy, caregiving has affected her in a positive way. Bessie feels that caregiving is rewarding, and she's come to love her father very much, it is evident that she has satisfaction with her role as a caregiver. She has strengthened her relationship with her father and her Aunt and we can see this when she says "I've been so lucky to have been able to love someone so much.'' in reference to her father. Although she has not developed other roles such as wife or mother, her life has meaning to it, the self sacrifice of caregiving has given her a deep sense of personal fulfillment which reaffirms and supports her sense of self and increases her self esteem (Hogstel, Curry, & Walker, 2006). This is evidenced throughout the movie when Bessie is the only one emitting hope and triumph in the face of death. Although we do not know if Bessie's cancer is a direct result of caregiving, we can see her strong coping skills emerge, and see her endure in stressful times; efficient coping techniques can be gained from caregiving situations (Levine, 2004). Bessie being the primary family caregiver had benefited positively from her caregiving role.
Lee, Bessie's estranged sister, has two kids, and long ago made the decision to concentrate on her own life rather than give needed aid to her sister. Levine (2004) states that caregiving can provoke a wide range of reactions to a complicated life choice involving personal sacrifice, Lee is clear that she is not willing to make that sacrifice to care for her dying father, this is illustrated in many ways in the movie starting with her being estranged from her family for 20 years. She demonstrates this further on her return by stating to Bessie "How could I help you, I had a husband and small children" and "In a few months, I'll have my cosmetology degree, my life is just coming together; I'm not going to give it all up, now!" In Lee's eyes, the sacrifice Bessie has made is too great and realizing that Marvin's welfare will fall to her if Bessie dies, Lee's first instinct is to look for a nursing home. It is obvious Lee is grieving her previous roles and is conflicted about the possibility of altered or relinquished roles as her former self. It is evident that Lee is disturbed to see her father physically and cognitively deteriorated, which provokes overwhelming feelings in her. She is also very angry and harbors feelings of being unjustly trapped, hence looking for nursing homes so that burden of care can be lifted off her shoulders. Lee, who has averted her caregiving responsibilities, has been more negatively impacted by family caregiving despite being minimally involved in it.
Caregiving can also have a profound effect on adolescents who have been exposed to a family caregiving environment. Evidence shows that adolescents residing in caregiving families have greater empathy for older adults, and show significant bonding with their mothers (Larsen & Lubken, 2009). In Marvin's Room, Lee's oldest son, Hank, who resides in an institution due to his mental illness, is a troubled teen who is quite disengaged from his family; however, after coming to Bessie's house he ends up having a complete turnaround. He develops a significant bond with Bessie evidenced by their significant amount of time spent together, his consent to the bone marrow test, and when he lets his guard down and stops lying to Bessie.
Marvin's Room deals with care of our elderly relatives, and parents and how such situations can often tear surviving family members and families even extended ones, apart. It shows how family caregiving can have positive influences as well as negative influences on an entire family.
sorry i know its long, i just need help with grammar!
