Assignment Task:
Read the case study and answer the questions that follow.
Tim and Joy have been married for over 50 years. They lived on a beautiful acreage about 5 km from the nearest town. Tim had been a successful businessman in a job that required frequent travel by car. Tim was diagnosed with dementia about one year ago. He was becoming progressively more confused, and several times when he drove to town, he would park the car and later be unable to find it. The local business owners would phone Joy to come and help him. This was difficult as he drove the couple's only car and she would have to find a way to get into town.
On several occasions, Tim stopped right in the middle of the intersection and would not know how to complete a turn or whether he should keep driving or remain stopped. The police drove him home on these occasions and, finally, they had to revoke his licence. When Tim was told that he could no longer drive, he yelled at his wife saying, "I have been driving for 60 years and I have not had a problem yet." He had no memory of the recent driving problems. His anger persisted, and Joy became more frightened of his reactions when she wouldn't permit him to drive the car.
Finally, in desperation, Joy took the car to a mechanic and had the ignition rewired so that the car would not start unless the headlights were turned on before the keys were turned in the ignition.
Tim would take the keys, go to the car, attempt to start it, and then return to the house saying, "The car needs repairing. Call the mechanic." Tim would then forget about driving for that day. This routine continued for two years until he was admitted in a continuing care facility.
Questions:
Q1. What facts about Tim's past history are important when considering solutions to this problem? Need Assignment Help?
Q2. Did Joy make a good decision about solving the driving problem? Yes or No? Explain your answer.
Q3. Did this solution preserve Tim's personhood? Yes or No? Explain your answer.