A Latino Family Confronts End-of-Life Decisions
This case is talking about Gabriela Rivera an 80-year-old Puerto Rican immigrant, who lives alone in her apartment in New York City. She has been living in the United States for almost 40 years. Gabriela had been working in a factory that exposed her to many different chemicals, which are now toxic. Gabriela’s husband died 4 years ago from a massive heart attack. She has 6 adult children, three that live out the state. Gabriela is a good mother to her children and grandchildren. She spends a lot of time talking to them and making them sweets. She raised her children through their teenage years in the same apartment where she lives today. Now she still has difficulty paying her rent with the help from her children. Gabriela has suffered from high blood pressure, which she controls with medication. She also has type-2 diabetes. When she was diagnosed with diabetes, she met with a nurse who told her to diet, and exercise, but she has found it difficult to do those things because of the foods that she eats. Gabriela's doctor prescribed medication to help keep her diabetes under control. She takes her medication whenever she can remember. Test has been showing that her kidneys functions had been failing. Gabriela's son, Marcos lives near Gabriela. He checks on his mother as much as he can. Marcos is a contract construction worker. His daughter, Cecilia spends a lot of her time at her Grandmother’s apartment, helping out. Marcos was also diagnosed with diabetes. He learned about his disease from a doctor who advised him to make a lot of lifestyle changes in order to keep his disease from getting bad. Marcos is a very heavy drinker, but he doesn’t want to cut back on his drinking. One afternoon, Marco’s wife Maria receives a phone call from their daughter. She showed up after school at her grandmother’s apartment to find her grandmother feeling dizzy and having difficulty breathing. When Gabriela went to the hospital,...