Education Resources

Class 4: Caring for Others—The Perspective of Family Members

Introduction:

In this class, students explore how illness impacts not only the patient, but also their loved ones and caregivers.

Mom’s Cancer is a story about how one family adapted and coped after “mom” was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. In Sharon Rosenzweig’s Judgment Call, the family is asked to step in and make critical decisions on behalf of their mother, who has dementia and cannot decide for herself. Sarah Leavitt’s Tangles also addresses the issue of caring for a family member with dementia. Students read these selections from graphic narratives that address the challenges family members face when navigating the complex health care system, and the difficulties of caring for a sick loved one. Relatedly, students explore how stories of illness can look very different depending on the point of view of the person telling the story.

Students read together Green’s “Comeuppance,” and depict the story from three different points of view. For the drawing activity, students work in small groups of three or four and draw the scene in “Comeuppance.” Using the Points of View handout, students illustrate the full story from the group’s assigned perspective as either the patient, student, or physician. They share the group graphic narratives and explore how the stories differ depending on the point of view.