Aleena Babu

Firstly, this scenario is successful in illustrating the complexities of human nature. One can never assume how another may react to a situation. While Sarah’s actions were attempting to serve the resident’s best interest, she was wrong to have assumed how Mrs Jones’ family members might have reacted. For instance they could have been pleased to see Mrs Jones make a change to her look, or her actions could mean that she is fully accepting herself. Therefore it was wrong of Sarah to have forced Mrs Jones to wear the wig.

Dignity is a complex principle to understand. Personally I believe that dignity means honouring and respecting the decisions of the patient, no matter how others react to it. Even though Mrs Jones did not have complete capacity to make accurate decisions due to her condition, she still smiled when looked at the mirror without her wig on. Instead of Sarah’s actions instilling happiness for the resident, her forceful gesture caused needless anxiety as a byproduct. Some might argue that Sarah’s actions were right because she was going by what the daughter wrote in the ‘This is me’ documentation which mentioned how much Mrs Jones cared about her appearance. In this situation, I would have respected Mrs Jones’ decisions and I would have contacted the family members to let them know of her decision, so that it would be expected and mitigate any possibility for reactions from anyone at the church which could distress Mrs Jones.

In conclusion I agree that Sarah’s care for her patient was dignified, but the way she handled the situation was wrong because it resulted in unhappiness for Mrs Jones. No one can predict the future, but if Mrs Jones had worn the wig, the negative feelings she felt before could be countered by people’s complements at the christening. While others should not dictate the level of your happiness, it is difficult to understand the influence on a person with dementia, and if this situation was real, I would thank Sarah for her hard work as situations like this can be very emotionally draining because there is no right or wrong way to react.