Our Research
- Reel Caregiving: Glimpses of Caregiving – Silver Linings PlaybookDecember 2, 2021 3:13 PM
The story of ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ tracks the feverish, happy, sad, absurdly funny ups and downs of a head case named Pat Solatano, just as he returns to his parents’ home after eight months in a mental institution. Pat tries to deal with his bipolar disorder, and the audience is privy to the effects of the disease. Pat also ends up in a strange relationship with Tiffany, who also suffers from depression. Unconventional Caregivers in Pat Solatano’s life: The most Read More
- Reel Caregiving: Glimpses of Caregiving – Me Before YouNovember 12, 2021 6:31 AM
This movie reveals the beautiful and dark side of caregiving in its rawest form. It shows us how caregivers may have different opinions on what is right for the care recipient, but at the end of the day what truly matters is what the care recipient wants. While Louisa Clark is the protagonist caregiver, there are other caregivers such as the professional caretaker, Nathan and William Traynor’s parents, Camilla, and Stephen Traynor. It begins with William Traynor stepping out on Read More
- Reel Caregiving: Glimpses of Caregiving – The Elephant ManOctober 29, 2021 6:33 AM
The Elephant Man is a story of how people with disabilities are often mistreated, isolated and deprived of basic human rights. In the 19th century, they were termed as freaks or monsters, and were used as a spectacle in circus for entertainment. In this movie, John Merrick suffers from a disorder which causes disfigurement of his body. He is a prisoner of Bytes, who earns money by displaying John to the public in a circus. He is regularly starved and beaten. Read More
REEL CAREGIVING: GLIMPSES OF CAREGIVING – THE SKY IS PINK
#1 Snapshot of “The Sky is Pink”
A story in the words of Aisha, who was diagnosed with SCIDS (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency), her family’s (Aditi, Niren and Ishaan Chaudhary) challenges in caring for her. The movie captures various phases of caregiving and also her adolescent passing away due to complications from treatment and how they all cope with it. Past experience of early death of their first daughter causes Aditi to be obsessed about the patient and treatment, making Ishaan’s needs secondary to that of Aisha. The movie explores the impact of caregiving on Aditi, Naren, their marriage, the overall family. Aisha’s decision to not undergo a risky surgery just to extend the duration and not quality of life is a revelation.
We will be showcasing various caregiver and well-wisher learning moments in a Reel Caregiving Series… Watch this space!!
#3 Impact of Caregiving on the Emotional and Spiritual Well-being of the Primary Caregiver
In our previous post, we highlighted the physical, financial and social aspects of well-being of Aditi. In this post we look at the impact of caregiving on one’s emotional and spiritual well-being.
Aisha was Aditi’s second child born with SCID, the first one passed away within a year. Aditi had not overcome her guilt of not finding a cure in time. This led to obsessive focus while caring for Aisha. During the last days of her first child, Aditi embraced a faith that gave her spiritual strength. However it appears that she was not as diligent in maintaining spiritual practices as part of daily life. Only when Aisha chose quality of life over yet another treatment did Aditi ensure making her happy and to feel good about herself. However, in this process, she tended to de-prioritize her own need for emotional support and also lost touch with her spiritual side. Her typical caregiver inability to do justice to other roles and relationships within the family took a toll on her emotional well-being. Only later we see how she heals, to rebuild her relationship with her husband.
Considering caregiving as her primary identity, Aditi lost her sense of purpose after the death of Aisha. She didn’t seem to let go of things that are associated with her daughter, highlighting her inability to deal with grief and accept the reality. While there were things the family could be grateful for, Aisha tended to focus only on the loss of her daughter and it appears that balance through gratitude was missing.
In our next post, we will look at Aisha’s father’s caregiving journey and the effect on the elements of his well-being.
Curated Research
- MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS – A TOOLKITAugust 10, 2021 1:49 PM
“Mental health and Well-being for Frontline Workers Digital Toolkit”, developed by the International Working aims to provide rapid resources to exercise support that could be used to help relieve stress, exhaustion and other psychological distress. It offers a wide range of resources and guidance for healthcare workers during times of crisis. This tool kit is divided into various sections intended to provide ways to combat emotional exhaustion and maintain a consistent sleep schedule. 1. Chill out rooms These Read More
- Living Wills – What is it and how to fill a living will formJuly 8, 2021 10:16 AM
Terminally ill patients often have to spend their final days in intensive care units, trying to extend their life, often leading to heavy emotional and financial burdens on them and their families. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are not yet legal in India but, in the case of Aruna Shanbaug, an Indian nurse who was at the centre of attention in a court case on euthanasia after spending 37 years in a vegetative state as a result of sexual Read More
- How to Talk to Children about the Pandemic: A HandbookJuly 1, 2021 3:19 PM
Author: Kavya Srinivasan Caregivers and teachers often feel conflicted on how to communicate the severity of a pandemic to a little child, without making it sound threatening or overwhelming. A child might find it difficult to comprehend or accept a public health emergency. As parents, teachers and caregivers, we can take help from the extremely essential handbook resource curated by Kavya Srinivasan, a theatre actor and educator based in Bangalore, India. If you’re a parent, caregiver or educator looking Read More
#2 Impact of Caregiving on the Physical, Social & Financial Well-being of the Primary Caregiver
In our previous post, we gave a snapshot of the movie “The Sky is Pink” which is based on a family’s caregiving journey.
In this post we discuss the impact of caregiving on one’s physical, social and financial wellbeing.
Aditi, the mother of Aisha, became the primary caregiver to her daughter when she was diagnosed with SCID. Aditi and Niren shifted to London to attain better and efficient treatment for their child. Coming from a middle-class Indian family, it was difficult for both of them to pay for Aisha’s treatment in London inspite of exploring different means of income. Being the only caregiver to her daughter, also left her feeling isolated from her family and friends at home. Aditi was not only a caregiver but had to juggle her responsibilities of being a mother and wife as well. She also worked all night and researched the condition whenever possible. Due to her busy day and night schedule, Aditi’s sleep routine was disrupted, which affected her physical well-being. Being a caregiver not only had an impact on her physical well-being but her social and financial well-being were also affected.
We will be taking you through the other elements of well-being that were affected during her caregiving journey. Watch this space to know more.