Question Andrew is a 64-year-old man who is divorced and lives alone in his… Andrew is a 64-year-old man who is divorced and lives alone in his own home, a mudbrick house he built himself on 20 acres of land approximately 25 kilometres from the local regional centre. He retired early from his former job as a primary school teacher following a serious motorbike accident that resulted in an acquired brain injury (ABI), two years ago. As a consequence of this injury Andrew was able to access his superannuation funds early, which is his sole source of income. Once a week Andrew’s friend and neighbour Jim takes him to the local shopping centre to purchase his groceries, collect his mail and do any other necessary tasks that need to be done. Andrew no longer rides or drives following his ABI.Since his accident, Andrew has trouble with his memory, so he makes sure that he keeps a list of what he needs to get when he goes shopping, although this list doesn’t change from week to week. Jim occasionally convinces Andrew to pick up something different when it is on special, but as groceries bought reflect a balanced diet, he has not been concerned about Andrew’s shopping choices. Jim has noticed that Andrew was including more beer and whiskey in his weekly purchases than he had previously. He doesn’t feel comfortable to talk about this with Andrew.Andrew looks forward to his day out with Jim each week, as they always stop at the pub for a counter meal for lunch and a few drinks. Jim has recently started to joke about Andrew’s visible weight loss despite the large meals and drinks he observes Andrew consuming while they are out. He keeps telling Andrew he must have worms to be able to eat the way he does and be getting skinnier. Andrew says it is just that eating is better when you have company and best when you don’t have to cook for yourself. He also confides to Jim that cooking for one is annoying and he sometimes isn’t in the mood to do it, so he just has a few drinks instead.Most days Andrew spends working on his block, cutting up fallen trees in preparation for his winter heating or clearing out weeds to minimise potential fuel for summer bushfires. He has been contemplating reviving his vegetable garden beds, but he often finds himself throwing shop-bought vegetables he hasn’t used each week into the compost pile. He also composts much of the fruit he harvests from trees he established when his children were young. Composting usable produce makes Andrew sad, as he feels he is failing to live up to the values that have always shaped his life. He gives away as much as he can of the fruit he grows to neighbours and his occasional visitors.Other than maintaining his land and home, Andrew’s main activity is playing the multiple instruments he has collected over the years. He spends hours each day, mainly in the evenings, practising in an effort to regain and maintain his musical skills. Once a month his friends Damo, Nick and Pete, who he used to play with in a band, come over for an all-day jam session. Andrew enjoys this interaction with his old friends, especially as he is far more comfortable engaging in making music than trying to hold a conversation. Andrew is aware that many people he has met following his accident get a little impatient when talking with him, as he often struggles to collect his thoughts and sometimes has difficulty expressing himself. Health Science Science Nursing Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)