BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL

SW 3020
FEBRUARY 8, 2014
CHARRO MOORE

INTRODUCTION
I will be assessing a single 65 year old African American woman. The purpose of this biopsychosocial on an older adult is to identify the psychiatric, physical, financial, and health needs
that could be helped by our social service system. By assessing the past history issue in relation
to family, developmental, health, relationships, religion, education, employment/income, and
strength are all factored in giving me the necessary tools to help determine or to provide
intervention in the variety of challenges that an older adult may face. I intend on discussing the
social history and the individuals experiences and problems which will assist in determining a
healthier, more satisfying and functioning life for the client.
Development of a Problem Statement
Beverly Wakefield is experiencing sadness, poor concentration and indecisiveness, feelings of
hopelessness, worthlessness, loneliness, inappropriate guilt, social withdrawal, and poor eating
habits as evidence by her difficulty coping with stressors she has reacted to stressors with a
brief increase in depressive symptoms including sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and diminished
interest in or enjoyment of activities, with the exception of casino gambling. The feeling of
sadness is associated in the loss of her daughter to AIDS and losing her mother and spouse to
cancer. She also is finding it complex at times, to raise her grandson whom suffers from
Cerebral Palsy. Coping with the physical abuse suffered in a past dysfunctional marriage has
also been difficult deal with. The feeling of hopelessness is associated with indebtedness and
overdue bills that exceed the ability to meet monthly bills, as evidence by her lack of sufficient
income to cover the cost of living is causing feelings of low self-esteem.

Development of a Goal
Symptoms of depression will significantly reduce and no longer interfere with Beverlys
functioning. Beverly will develop the ability to recognize, accept, and cope with feelings of
depression and establish healthy cognitive patterns and beliefs about herself. Due to financial
stressors, she will establish a clear income and expense budget that will meet bill payments.
Beverly will achieve an inner strength to say no to personal impulse buying and recreational
gambling, that increases debt. She will find activities that will not cause a financial stress when
interacting with friends. Beverly will contact Section 8, to express her concerns about the
housing condition and inquire about moving to a more acceptable residence. This will be
measure by the S.M.A.R.T System, and the anticipated completion date: 9-1-14.

Objective using S.M.A.R.T./Developing Goals

Beverly will attend a support group once a month for grandparents that are raising their special
needs grandchildren (kinship). This will help Beverly meet peers that are going through similar
experiences, that are relatable and may assist in her wanting to bond and interact with people
more.
Beverly will become involved in at least one additional extracurricular activity or sport at least 2
to 4 times a week. Due to her diabetes being active can increase her appetite, develop
endorphins which naturally will help with the effects of depression. Beverly has improved her
sleeping and eating habits.

Beverly will learn coping skills, including problem solving and emotional regulation. This will be
measured by her demonstrating these skills during therapy sessions and bringing homework
assignments for two consecutive weeks that will show she practiced them between sessions.
She will attend a family therapy with grandson to explore and help the family understand the
family dynamics, such as the deaths in the family and coping with illnesses. Theyre expected to
attend at least twice a month. The negative patterns and problems in the family structure, such
as the promiscuousness behaviors by Beverly and her daughter. This will assist in the guilt that
she feels about her daughter contracting AIDS through, and not teaching and raising her with
the morals of not valuing the proper sexual activities (safe sex).
Beverly will develop a family and friends routine meeting at least once a month. The meeting
can consist of a family fun day or night (board games/movies/dinners etc.) This can assist in the
loneliness and interest and enjoyment in activities.
Physical abuse experienced by Beverly can also be addressed by group therapy and reflected
upon, which may help Beverly cope with trusting and increase her social withdrawal behaviors
(interacting with others). She will attend group session at least once a month abused
women/women who experienced domestic violence.
Beverly will keep a daily journal of experiences, so she can identify negative thoughts related to
poor self-esteem. This process will diffuse damaging thinking patterns, and be replaced with
positive realistic thoughts. This will be measured by her demonstrating these skills during
therapy sessions and bringing homework assignments for two consecutive weeks that will show
she practiced them between sessions.

Beverly will make positive statements regarding self and the ability to cope with stresses of life.
Beverly will be assigned to write at least one positive statement daily regarding herself in the
future and her strengths.
Beverly will identify priorities by listing them, and giving the direction she believes how the
money is spent. Her assignment is to process those priorities and display where the money
goes. She will be encouraged to keep weekly and monthly records of financial income and
expenses. We will review records twice a month and reinforce financial decision making.
Accelerated unnecessary spending will be explored for evidence of the low self-esteem,
loneliness, and depression that is being experienced by Beverley, due to financial status.
Beverly will learn to communication and conflict skills and report the number of times each
week she experiences these feelings when she is in financial dilemmas.
Time Line

Date Established

Projected

Completion

Attending support group for grandparents

3-1-14

3-15-14

Raise grandchildren with special needs.

(Once monthly)
Involved in curricular activity or sport
14

3-1-14

3-29-

(2 to 4 times a week)
Learning coping skills/Problem solving
/Emotional regulation (2 consecutive weeks)

3-1-14

4-14-

3-1-14

5-1-14

14
Family Therapy
(Twice a month)

Family Meetings
(Twice monthly)
3-1-14

5-14-14

Group Therapy/Domestic Violence

(Once a month)

3-1-14

5-21-

14

Journaling Thoughts and Experiences

(Two consecutive weeks)

3-1-14

6-5-14

Positive Statements
(Once a day)

3-1-14

7-1-14

Financial Priorities
(Review twice a month)

3-1-14

7-14-

3-1-14

8-16-

14

Spending Habits
(Daily effects reported)
14

Meeting with Section 8

Representative/ Listing

Completion date (expected) : 9-1-14

3-1-14

8-23-14

Conclusion
Beverly Wakefield is a 65 year old African American woman who presented problems of
depression. The finding symptoms and findings are prominent and clinically significant: sadness,
poor sleeping and eating habits, isolated behavior, and feelings of worthlessness due to
financial stresses. The symptoms are relatively acute. Protective factors include supportive
family and friends as well as Beverlys in sight and motivation for treatment. Significant Bio
psychosocial stressors included the diminished enjoyment in activity and the lack of
relationship with her peers. Other stressors include her financial status, domestic violence
experienced in her marriage, and the loss of family members and not grieving properly.
Differential diagnosis is depression. As result at the beginning of the treatment Beverly was
able to participate in power walking with friends at a park, which demonstrated her goal of
healthy activity. She has demonstrated steps to problem solving, and identifying emotions, and
relaxing during treatment sessions. She brought in homework assignments demonstrating that
she used problem solving and relaxation skills for two consecutive weeks. Family therapy has
helped Beverly implement bonding and coping skills in which it has developed a strong family
unity along with encouragement in interacting with friends socially. Beverly is now on the
housing list, and is managing her financial status which has help diminish her regular depressive
mood swings by half of the amounts of time. Less depression episodes are successful sign and
due to having a healthier relationship with her family, mainly raising her grandson more
sufficiently and learning more about how to cope with his illness. Receiving help for the abuse
she experienced and receiving help with the grieving process from losing her close family
members were both milestones in her recovery of depression. Learning to develop her

strengths and manage her weaknesses has been challenging for Beverly, but the improvement
of symptoms, the successful outcome from the therapy sessions, and the completion of her
plan of treatment is a goal that allows Beverly to be discharge from our therapy within a six
month time frame.
This Bio-psychosocial has helped me with figuring out how problems can develop and progress
in later years due to inadequate assistance. The effects of lower income during older age
limitations are generally due to illness, impairment in independent daily living, lack of
education, and the economic change in our society. Higher levels of depression are experienced
due to family loss which creates loneliness and struggle. I also discovered because of the
responsibilities that older adult are taking on, such as kinship roles can create stress, and
depression because this is normally the time they are retiring and have raised their offspring. It
takes a lot to start the process again, and give up part of your social life, and dedicate the
appropriate care to a grandchild. Utilizing this assessment provided me a tool to tie in to the
client family history, health history, developmental stages, religious background, educational
background, relationships, weakness, and more importantly strengths. Retrieving the sufficient
information during my engagement and assessment, I now feel competent enough in planning
an intervention for this client.