Social Work Video Analysis

In the Master of Social Work series, Sessions the viewer is introduced to the Parker family through a series of five videos. Sara Parker and her daughter, Stephanie Parker currently live together in a two-bedroom apartment. Sara is a 72-year-old widow who has started to show signs of dementia and attends a senior day center where she receives treatment for depression. In addition, Sara is a hoarder and a compulsive shopper. 48-year-old Stephanie suffers from bipolar disorder, as a teenager she tried to commit suicide, and within the last four years, she has been hospitalized three times for mental health related issues. While they both love one another, their current living condition is quite turbulent. They constantly argue over the clutter that Sara has accumulated. Stephanie wants a clean home and feels suffocated by all the mess, while Sara takes comfort in what she sees as her stuff, and does not want it thrown away. Despite their differences, both women express a desire to work on finding a solution to their current situation. Therefore, the best way to begin is by setting goals for them.
It appears from the video that Sara never adjusted to the loss of her husband. She holds on to her things the way someone might hold on to their loved ones. The objective of adjusting to loss would help her learn to let go and to move on with her life. Stephanie uses medication to get her through the day. The objective of learning other coping techniques would allow her to better handle day to day difficulties and make her less dependent on medication. The objective that will assist both mother and daughter is opening the lines of communication between them. They will each have their separate objectives to work on, but they need to constructively communicate with one another to make their living situation