Long Term Realtionships

There are many factors that can influence the outcome of whether someone decides to help others. It is especially interesting when it comes to helping others long term. Gender is the major factor in determining who will provide the care for other. It has been discovered by research that women are 50 % more likely to help in a long term care relationships than men. It has been measured that over 65% of all elderly rely on someone to help care for them. The ones that are most apt to help are close family and friends. It maybe also is a factor that more women help in long term care relationships because they realize that they too will need help someday. Women historically outlive men and therefore will be the major recipients of long term care by others. Women who are single are much more apt to help in long term relationships than women who are married. The demands of everyday chores associated with a busy family life drain from the time and energy of women who are married or in close relationships. Although women are more apt to help it has been found that it also depends upon what the person requires for the care. It has been determined that men are much more apt to help others long term in situations such as lawn work and house repairs. This of course makes sense because most women do not have the skills to help others meet such help requirements. When women help long term it helps the needy stay in their homes longer. Women help more with transportation to physician appointments as well as shopping for daily needs.

I have this long term care situation in my own family. My mother’s mother is 87 years old. My mom is her main care giver. Although my mother has two brothers as well the everyday requirements to keep my grandmother in her own home comes from the care and attention that my mother gives to her. My uncles rarely even come to the house or call. Some of this reaction maybe because they just assume that my mother will care for my grandmother or maybe they fit the typical statistics of male being much less apt to care for others especially in the long term relationships. My mother visits and calls daily, picks up her mail and does the minor repairs around the house and all of the lawn care. If my grandmother needs to go to her physician or after groceries or to the library for books my mom always takes her.

I also have a high school teacher that has helped a female elderly neighbor across the street from her home. The old lady has been a close friend of the family for years. My teacher takes three meals a day over to her and runs errands that she needs. Because of her help she is able to stay in her home and does have some socialization although she is basically homebound. My teacher takes her to physician visits and takes her mail in to her everyday. My teacher is single and never been married and has been the major care giver for the old lady for more than 25 years. There are family members but they live away from the elderly lady and do not visit often

These two actual scenarios meet the typical long term care situation.