| “I think that she has improved because I believe that company is good for an older person, partly because that way they don't feel alone. They don't feel forgotten about, and I think that yes, she has improved a little [because of me].” |
Twenty-three-year-old Tatiana had been caring for her 61-year-old grandmother for almost 2 ½ years at the time of interview. The grandmother required a lot of assistance with basic functions like self-grooming and mobility. However, Tatiana decided to be her caregiver because of the company and attention that she perceived her grandmother needed in her old age. This passage reflected her views on aging as well as on caregiving as a form of protection against poor health. |
| “I'm not bragging but the doctors have told me when I take her there [to the office]. They say ‘you're a good nurse.’ My neighbors, relatives and friends who come to visit also say that she looks good. It makes me happy that I take good care of her. She [the doctor] says ‘she's not all skinny and [sick] like she used to be.’ I'm not bragging or anything but I think that yes, she gets attention that's necessary…and I try to see that she has the things [she needs] and doesn't lack anything.” |
Francisca and her mother had been living together for the last 18 years. Francisca only began caring for her mother two years prior to the interview when the 82-year-old went blind due to diabetes-related complications. In this excerpt, Francisca was commenting on how her care had made improvements in her mother's health. |
| “Before, she wasn't able to stand up or go to the bathroom [by herself] and [her health] was very bad, very bad. But now her health has improved, including she can walk with a cane and walker…. Yes, the care and affection we all give her…and the support I give her [has made a difference].” |
Maria, a 56-year-old divorcee with no children, had been caring for her 88-year-old mother for 5 years because of her mother's heart disease, although the mother had no functional impairment and was physically active. We show in this quote Maria's response to a series of questions on the changes in her mother's health over the 5 years and the impact her care has had on her mother's health. |
| “They tell him, ‘Don Eugenio you're doing very well, you've conquered the sugar because of your wife's care’…. I'm satisfied to see him as he is [now]. He's conquered it…. When the doctors were seeing him, they told me, ‘How many years has Don Eugenio been sick? It's been 27 years? [He] has been sick for 27 years and look how well he is.’ I think he hasn't become an invalid over the years [because] I have been dedicated to caring for him.” |
At the time of the interview, Amalia had been caring for her 64-year-old husband for the last 30 of their 45-year marriage. Don Eugenio suffered a stroke at the age of 34, leaving him with weakness in the limbs, hearing loss, and difficulty with eating and walking. Three years prior to the interview, he was diagnosed with diabetes. In this excerpt, Amalia recalled a recent conversation she had with her husband's medical providers. The excerpt highlighted her opinion of the positive effect her dedicated care has had on her husband's health. |
| Non-Guardians' Quotes |
Context |
| “Well yes. Because like they [doctors] told me that her treatment—they gave her treatment for the chronic illness she has [bronchitis]. So you can say that [she has been better] for some time. It [the treatment] made her better, it alleviated her.” |
We asked 55-year-old Tere if she believed her mother's health had improved over time and what she attributed to the positive change. Her 86-year-old mother did not suffer from a particular disease, but from “old age.” This quote pointed out how Tere attributed the improvement in her mother's health to receiving medical treatment. |
| “He was feeling bad so I told him, ‘go see the doctor. You can't be like that. So…she [daughter] did me the favor of taking him [to the doctor] and it seems that he is much, much better now…Yes [it's been about a month now that he's been better] because they gave him tests…. and gave him a prescription. They are drops that he's taking but already thanks to God he is much better.” |
Guadalupe was caring for her 64-year-old husband who suffered from obesity and had trouble walking. At the time of the interview, Guadalupe had been taking “extra” care of him for three years. We asked her questions about the changes in her husband's health during that time. Although she monitored his diet and made sure “his heart didn't get agitated,” she did not take credit for her husband's improved health. |
