Interview A Senior citizen

Despite the laws and systems in place that perpetuated racism and discrimination, he led a very successful life. He dropped out of school in 8th grade, grew up without his father and lived in poverty, but was able to have a successful career, purchase a home for his family and lead his household. In this past I had thoughts of not wanting to grow old, but after reading about late adulthood and conducting the interview with my grandfather, I realize that it is not the depressive and uneventful period I originally imagined it to be. I also realize that late adulthood is the not the ending of life, but the continuation of new experiences. My grandfather takes great pride in his life experiences and instead of focusing on shortcomings and negatives, he chooses to highlight his success and happiness. He has lived a very long and full life and his stories encompass much of the developmental information discussed in the late adulthood period. This assessment has also awakened in me, an interest in exploring geriatric social work. There is much to learn from our elders, and additional knowledge of this group will allow me to learn how to best serve and support clients in this age

These stereotypes, however, are very far from the truth about what occurs during the late adulthood stage. They stem from a form of prejudice referred to as ageism (Berger, 2008). Gerontologists define ageism as “A form of prejudice used to categorize and judge individual based on their chronological age only” (Berger, 2008, p. 615). The issue of ageism can promote patronizing treatment toward persons in the late adulthood stage and even foster discrimination. For example, people in the West unconsciously process

The Elder Woman interviewee for this paper is 70 years old, Caucasian, single, and lives alone. The woman reports that she is divorced and has two children that are grown, married, and has grandchildren from both of them. The woman reports that she gets along very well with her ex husband because it is the best situation for the children. Her son lives close but her daughter lives in another state and keeps in contact with her frequently. She currently works as a Care Manager for a health plan organization.

While there are many theories within the Social Work/Gerontology discipline that is relevant to this topic, the one theory that seems most relevant is Activity Theory. Activity Theory argues that older people continue to benefit society as well as themselves when they continue to be active as they age. The theory argues that a senior’s positive perception

Aging is a universal phenomenon and humans are no exception. Gerontology deals with the psychological, social and biological aspects of aging process. A recent study shows that people aged 85 years and older are expected to augment from 5.3 million people to 21 million as the world reach 2050. In today’s world Gerontology has an enormous role to play so that the senior citizens could be analyzed and their needs may be addressed with compassion and empathy.

I had the privilege of interviewing a 60 year old gentlemen who I will identify as Mr. E to protect his privacy for this assignment. The goal of my interview was to gain insight on aging from an older adult. I interviewed Mr. E in his home on a weekday evening. He expressed appreciation and was surprised that he was the focus of an interview in which his life story and thoughts would be recorded.

As adults enter the stage of later adulthood, many changes will begin to develop for each person. The aging process includes transitioning from work life to retirement, changes to roles, social positions, social policies, determining living accommodations with healthcare needs, and relationships with families and peers. The stage known as the golden years comes with great challenges while adjusting to the many changes in a person’s life. (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2010). Transition from work to retirement

Race and poverty factor into the aging process in several ways. First, there is a growing number of minority older population in America (158). This growth will continue to rise in the future. As a result, the United States of America will have a diverse older population. Secondly, many older minority groups face disadvantages. These disadvantages are due to discrimination they have faced throughout their life. Furthermore, cultural and economic barriers can keep older minority people from a satisfying old age. Novak also stated, “Minority older people have lower incomes, poorer health, and shorter lives than other older people (160). Also, the people who are classified in the minority groups, experience aging different than the dominant white people do, due to their past. Lastly, the minority group members can teach us other ways of growing old. This means that they will show us how they grow old in their societies and communities. These minority groups have demonstrated strength and stability in an ever changing world, even when they felt prejudice and discrimination from others.

After spending an afternoon interviewing my elderly father-in-law, I gained insight into how he perceives the aging process and the impact on the quality of his life. First, and foremost he viewed aging in a very positive and healthy manner. He believes that a positive attitude assists in accepting physical and psychosocial changes and enjoyed the fact that he and his wife are both physically fit and cognitively alert. He felt confident that advances made in health care and the quality of their lives would continue to be empowering. He enjoys the benefits of being a senior citizen including discounted travel, free education, and other incentives marketed towards seniors. He expressed a sense of well-being with respect to the numerous

Middle adulthood directly correlates with my father’s story because individuals in this stage experience diminished biological capabilities. This period is also marked by retirement. Furthermore, people in this period tend to become more loving of themselves and others. The interviewer’s father’s eyesight began to worsen as he aged, he has had a few heart attacks and undergone heart surgery, which left him in a vulnerable state, as well as, his muscle mass, is continuing to waste away. As an effect of his declining capabilities my father had no choice but to retire. He is no longer has the energy to do what he once did. For example, he gets out of breathe easily when walking short distances, he cannot participate in strenuous activities etc.. As the middle adulthood stage points out individuals tend to enhance their own lives in this stage. My father does this by trying to help men who are younger than him. He has come to the realization that he is a senior member compared to the younger guys, so he tries to inspire them. In doing this he believes he is still influential in someone’s life. If they need advice about life he is willing to oblige them. He even spends more time during this stage with his kids and

L was married for 20 years. She has 2 daughters; one is going to school and the other lives in Texas. Her mother has been living with her for 3 ½ years. She enjoys movies, having coffee with her friends once a week, and her two grandchildren. She is active in her church, and used to do prison ministry. She works in Gerontology at the Health Sciences Center and has been a Tech employee for 25 years.

Aging and being old was dominated by negative characteristics and conditions such as illness, depression, and isolation for a long time (Eibach, Mock, & Courtney, 2010). At first glance the terms “success” and “aging” seem to be in conflict to each other. When asking people about aging, their answers have many facets that are also found in psychological definitions: successful aging is seen as health, maturity and personal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generativity, coping, and acceptance of age-related limitations. In the psychological sense successful aging is also often seen as the absence of age-associated characteristics (Strawbridge, Wallhagen, & Cohen, 2002). It seems that successful aging means is not aging.

Aging is a difficult process to experience for anyone. It is easier when one has a great support system not only from the family, but from the healthcare team as well. My uncle Billy, age 71, experienced a motor vehicle accident in 2003 resulting in early retirement. Prior to the accident, he was a hardworking man that lived to provide for his family. It’s tough to imagine your life completely changing from one day to another. Luckily, although his endurance has decreased, he can still be an independent man.

Grohol, J. (2011). Mental Health Needs of Older Americans. Psych Central. Retrieved on September 29, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/05/02/mental-health-needs-of-older-americans/

As I age, I hope to only be half of the person Toby is. At age seventy six, Toby has lived his life to where he has taught himself not to regret, get angry, or judge any other person. He has seen three different countries, several different states, and hundreds of different people. For a man who has not taken the best care of himself health wise, was drafted into the Vietnam War, and lost his wife, Toby amazes me with how well he still functions in everyday life.