As part of a Praxis course called “Aging in America,” Jo helps out at a nursing home for the elderly each Monday morning. Many of the residents have difficulty walking. Jo’s responsibilities are to help residents get from their bedrooms to breakfast by 8:30, and from breakfast to the residents’ meeting by 9:15.
This morning, a resident named Mrs. Peters is scheduled to visit her daughter in Wynnewood after the residents’ meeting. Jo’s on-site supervisor suspects that the daughter has been battering Mrs. Peters. Instead of sending Mrs. Peters with a van service, the supervisor asks Jo to drive Mrs. Peters to the daughter’s home on her way back to campus and to observe “whether there is anything dangerous going on.”
Jo is uncomfortable with the supervisor’s request. She politely declines to drive Mrs. Peters.
Jo is still feeling uncomfortable later in the day, but she does not know how to describe what was inappropriate about the supervisor’s request.
What could you say to Jo to help her articulate what was wrong?
Case Scenarios