2 posts with the same message...uuurggg!
Anyway, It's hard to give advice unless you give more details
Is there only one user account set up, your wife's? and do you need a password to access it, but you don't have the password?
Do you have 2 user accounts, your wife's which would be an administrators account and your user account, but have limited rights, therefore you can't access ceratins areas of the computer to make changes?
If there is only one account, your wife's and she has administrator rights, and you know her password, you can log in under her account,
go to
control panel>user accounts, and create your own account with admin. rights, then you will have full access to the compter and all it's functions.
....I hope your wife recovers from her illness.