Roberta's husband has been hospitalized with dementia. This unfortunate turn of events increases the likelihood that

• A. Roberta will die.
• B. Roberta's husband will have a stroke.
• C. Roberta will develop obstructive pulmonary disease.
• D. All of the above.

Answer: (A)

Caregiver stress and health risk. When a spouse has dementia and is now hospitalized, the caregiver faces intense emotional strain, long hours, disruption of routines, and often neglected self-care. This sustained stress—along with possible sleep loss and worry—raises the body's allostatic load and increases the risk of serious health problems for the caregiver, including death, more than it would for unrelated stressors.

So, the scenario makes it more likely that Roberta could experience adverse health outcomes that raise the chance of mortality. The other options describe health events for the husband or in directions not directly tied to the caregiving burden in this situation, so they’re not as plausible as the caregiver’s increased mortality risk.