Ian is 52 years of age. He and Molly have weathered many storms together, and her recent fight with breast cancer was no exception. She is now in remission after a double mastectomy, and the doctors are confident that they removed all of the cancer before it spread. Molly was out of work for roughly a year, and she and Ian had some help during that time from their grown children.
Ian has continued to teach. He and Molly have continued to be well-respected in the school system and are some of the longest-employed in the school district. They feel like they have a new outlook on life after Molly's illness, and they spend much of their free time together. Ian still teaches some at the community college, and enrollment in his classes continues to be steady.
Ian has thought about retirement but isn't sure the two could do it. The two have talked about traveling now that the children are grown, but they aren't sure. The recent economic challenges have taken their toll with Molly having to take a pay cut when she returned to work after her illness.
* What challenges do couples face when one becomes ill? Cite statistics to indicate the percentage of couples who stay together, who separate, etc. How many generally say their relationship is strengthened because of the experience of overcoming an illness?
* Ian and Molly have been employed by a public school system for several years. What kind of retirement plan are they likely to have, and how much money might be available to them assuming they were able to match the school system's contribution to their retirement account each month?
* Describe the typical developmental milestones for middle adulthood.
Question form Group 6-
ReplyDelete1. Do Ian and Molly want to retire from the school at the same time? Or would Molly continue to still work in the school?
2. Does Ian still manage to have time to be by his wife's side along with all the duties he has as a teacher?
3. How much money would they both receive if they retire from the school? Is this enough for them to travel and still live comfortably?
• When one becomes ill in a couple it puts a lot of strain on the relationship.. Each person in the relationship suffers from the other’s pain and will do anything to make that other person feel better. Illness’s in a relationship requires time, patience, and commitment. The spouse who is not ill needs to be there for their sick spouse and get them through this hard time by constantly being positive and showing their support. The well spouse needs to make sure they take time to themselves and to get away regularly whenever possible. About.com states that 75% of marriages where one spouse is chronically ill will eventually fail. It is stated on Missourifamilies.org, that martial satisfaction declined because of the reduced opportunity to participate in activities together and the spouse that is ill may be moodier and angrier in their daily life. Not only is it emotionally draining on the couple but they also may deal with economic hardships, depression, anxiety, and physical distress. Missourifamilies.org states that men who are emotionally distant when their wife has breast cancer will cause the woman to have more distress. The website also says that men who suffer from cancer will have a better outlook on life after they recover regardless of the status of the relationship. To be a successful couple, one needs to accept the reality of what is going on. Both spouses in the relationship should find out as much as possible about the illness and do anything they can to be supportive to one another. Missourifamilies.org says, “ Couples who demonstrate responsibility, adaptation, compassion, encouragement, support, and flexibility can build stronger, closer marriages despite the presence of illness.” It is also key to redefine intimacy and shower each other in physical affection.
ReplyDelete2. Since Ian and Molly are both employed by the public school system, they will most likely have a teacher pension plan. Under this particular retirement policy, they can receive up to 50 to 60 percent of their final salary. Before then, they can receive benefits as well. Most public school teachers abide by the 30/50 retirement plan which states that after they put 30 years of service to the school, they then get to receive benefits at the age of 55.
ReplyDelete3. The typical developmental milestones for middle adulthood are conscious of aging begins to occur, gains in practical problem solving and expertise occurs, self-acceptance and job satisfaction increases. Seeing and hearing starts to decline, hair color starts to turn grey, skin starts to become more wrinkled, and some may decrease in height. Intimacy, marriage, and family are extremely important to adults in this stage of their life. Some adults might even experience a midlife crisis and even change careers.
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