Interview with an older adult paper PDF

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I interviewed with a 60 year old mentor of mine who would like to be remained nameless. They have had a big impact on my life and are a very wise person, a perfect interview candidate for this paper. Since I am from Buffalo New York and so is this person, the interview was held over the phone. In this interview we will discuss his perceptions of aging. How his physical wellbeing has changed/altered along with his psychological aging has changed as well. Another main topic of the interview is to discuss family. How growing older has changed his mind set and attitude on being a good father and husband. Finally, the future that holds regarding his retirement plans and how his work experiences are going. Nevertheless his outlook on life all in one interview, an experience I am much looking forward to. I.

Perceptions of Aging and Ageism ● Did you know older people when you were growing up? What made you think of them as older?

“I knew a lot of older people when I was growing up. One of my uncles and I were very close and he used to take me to baseball games when I was a kid. I also was fortunate enough to have very loving grandparents as well. They would share stories and give me lots of advice when I was a young kid and became an adult. I thought of them as older because they were a lot older than I was, but more importantly they had authority over me, they were people I respected and

knew I had to listen to.” ● When did you begin to think of yourself as older? What did getting older mean to you? “I began to think of myself as older when I became a father. I still hate to admit the fact that I am getting older as my sons make jokes about it when I do but when I had an established marriage and my kids came along I really began to sit back and “age”. Getting older meant to me that I stopped worrying so much about things I had no control over. I became very content with my simple life and really focused on my family and my happiness.” -

I interpreted this act of behavior as a change in morals. The older he got, the more he understood what he thought was important to him personally. The more time that passed, the simpler his life became. (“Age Related Functional Reorganization … of Aging”, 2014). ● Do you think society views and perhaps treats older people differently from young people? Has this affected you? If so, how?

“If anyone gets treated differently it’s us older people, the generation before the one now that people are tougher on. Young kids and young adults have a much different way of life than we had and opportunities and dreams and hope are much more common now a days than they were back when I grew up.” I think it affects me in a positive way because there are a lot of parts of life that young adults are very unaware about. An example of this is how to fix your car if it breaks down, we didn’t have AAA roadside service or even cell phones back then.” -

Stereotypes are a big part of aging. Depending on your age, people will feel the

need to go out of your way to help you or think you are mean and cranky because you are “at that age” so to speak. Also, young people are more naive and older people seem to trust their routine and way of life more religiously for lack of a better word. (“Reducing Cardiovascular Stress with Positive Self ‘Stereotypes of Aging”, 2000). ● Would you like to see the way people treat or view older people change? If so, in what ways? “I think since I am only 60 and might be considered on the younger side of the spectrum when it comes to older people, that I do not have much of an opinion on it since I don’t have to deal with any of these problems myself.” -

I don’t believe there is any certain wait to treat older people differently. The young adults will become middle aged, the middle aged adults will become old, and the old adults will become elderly. Treating people who are older than you is a formality and you learn how to act based on your own life experiences. One thing that could change is that elderly people nowadays suffered from more sexism, making them more sensitive to other forms of discrimination. (“The Ageism Survey: First Findings”, 2001) II.

Physical Well-Being in Later Life

● Have you noticed physical changes (senses, skin, and hair, ability to walk and get around, strength)? If so, how have these affected you and how have you coped with these changes? “I have noticed a lot of changes as I have grown older. These types of things have been going on ever since I hit my 30’s. A couple of more noticeable ones that have come

along recently are that my hair is becoming thinner. I am even getting a little bit of a bald spot on the top of my head I have noticed. My ability to walk isn’t a problem but I am sore sometimes. I do work on my hands and knees all day since I am a flooring contractor so that is a major reason for soreness as well. I also have had two knee surgeries on my right leg and maybe since I am getting older, the knee just isn’t holding up like it used to. My strength is still very good though, I am obviously not as strong as when I was young but I have not weakened at all.” -

Obviously as you grow older you might need help with tasks you once used to be able to do. This is a normal and natural part of aging. I will say that an increase in longevity is a component of being positive about self-perceptions of aging. Identifying that you cannot complete certain tasks anymore could lead to you wellbeing. It is hard for people to accept help, but accepting help can help them in the long run. (“Longevity Increased By Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging”, 2002)

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Another point I wanted to mention is inhibition of a prepotent motor response. The inability to function as good as you were once able to due to your body getting older and more worn out. (“Aging and Inhibition of a Prepotent Motor Response during an Ongoing Action” 2008) ● Do you do any kind of exercise or physical activity to keep fit? If so, what do you do, for how often, and how for how long?

“I do not do much to stay fit, one common thing I do regularly is go to the gym and do exercises for my knee. Since it sometimes gets sore and weak on me I noticed that when I work it out it feels a lot healthier. I only do it when it acts up too.

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Regular working out can decrease life expectancy. It is simple, the better shape you are in the healthier your body is and the better chance you have of living longer, you would think. Physical activity is associated with decreased mortality, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression, falls, and disability in older adults. The specific age of the older adults it does not specify. My understanding of this is that once an older adult hits a certain age, physical activity does more harm than good. (“Urban Health”, 2004) ● Do you pay attention to you diet? If so, how? How do you see diet and nutrition as affecting or having affected your well-being?

“I have high blood pressure so watching my diet has become a part of me. I used to eat whatever I wanted and would eat a lot of fatty foods. What I do is not put so much butter in everything that I cook/eat and also limited the amount of potatoes that I eat. I also don’t eat a lot of potato chips anymore. I can’t remember how long ago it was but I went into the doctor’s for a regular checkup and I was extremely unhealthy. The doctor explained to me that I need to make changes in my eating habits or else I am at risk for a lot more serious conditions other than high blood pressure. Ever since then I have done a much better job watching what I put into my body.” -

The more you can maintain a healthier and more consistent diet I feel is going to help you as you age. Lots of fruits and vegetables along with foods rich in bio actives such as tea and certain berries can promote aging as well. (“Physical Fitness and Cognitive Functioning in Aging”, 1994) ● Do you go to your doctor for check ups? If so, about how often? Do you feel comfortable discussing your health concerns with your doctor?

“I go in for checkups with the doctor annually, I feel very comfortable discussing my health concerns with my doctor because if I explain everything to him correctly he is the best person who will be able to help me. I don’t like to keep anything back.” -

As he stated, the doctor told him he was unhealthy and he had to make life changes in order to “get back on track” to where he should be. This is why continuing to go to annual checkups are important as you get older, heath problems can come up without you having any knowing of it. ● Are you comfortable asking for and accepting help with physical tasks if you need it?

“Absolutely not, I am not that old yet. I hate asking for help at all. I am not at the age yet were physical tasks are a problem for me to handle with.” -

I feel this falls into play perfectly with the mature age worker aspect of aging. Older people do not like to ask for help because it is a form of weakness. Older and more mature workers have proved to be beneficial in the workplace. If you need help with physical tasks in your job, it does not look good. (“The MatureAge Worker and Stereotype Threat”, 2016) III. Psychological Aging ● What in your life provides you with hope or optimism? What is most meaningful and important to you in your life? Has this changed through your adult life? If so, how?

“Right now, my family is the most meaningful and important thing in my life. Seeing my children grow up and achieve success in life, and being supportive of their journey through their lives. Being with my wife. Owning our home and being able to share it

with someone is really special. What in my life provides hope is my children. I hope to see them grow into fine adults with families of their own. I hope them healthiness and happiness long with the rest of my extended family as well. I hope to continue to add on important things in my life that I don’t have yet, and to fill them with new experiences and memories that I will never forget. I am optimistic about the future because my wife and I have worked very hard to parent our children into becoming successful American citizens. I trust my family to do the right thing and make the right choices and don’t feel the need to push any one of their decisions a certain way based on my opinion. The only time this changed in my adult life was after I had an established career and we bought our first home. After that it all stayed the same.” -

Wellbeing in an aging person is natural. They are going to create a smaller and smaller circle of what is truly important in their lives. He states that his family is the most important thing in his life. He is happy as long as his family is healthy, a form of wellbeing and being at peace. An example of this is religion. There is a reason when you go to church you see older people than younger people. They are exercising their wellbeing. (“Religion and Well-Being in Aging Persons in an Aging Society”) ● Could you describe one to three most important things or activities in your life today and why these are important to you? Have these activities changed through your adult life?

“The three most important things in my life right now I would have to say are; first, having my entire family together. Between college and them starting their careers it is extremely important to me when we are all back together again, and I love to see my wife

happy when this happens as well. Second would have to be supporting my children whether it’s with their sporting events or when they graduate college. I especially enjoy seeing my sons play baseball. Third, one of my favorite activities to do is my crossword puzzles in the newspaper every morning and playing solitaire on the computer. Random little games that are extremely addicting to me.” ● Could you describe one or two experiences in your life that might have been particularly challenging for you? How have you coped and what might you have learned from these experiences? “The first experience that pops into my head about tough experiences was the challenge my wife and I had having the ability to have kids. We went through a miscarriage before our first born child and the possibility of not being able to reproduce was in question. It was a very scary moment in my life. We had to go to multiple specialists to fix the problem and thankfully did so. A part of my life I will never take for granted. I didn’t as much as cope with this experience, I just matured from it.” ● What kinds of activities do you enjoy and have these changed through your adult life? “I used to really enjoy golfing. I was in a men’s league and took it pretty seriously too. I would golf about 3-4 times a week and would even travel to courses out of state to go play. When I had kids the responsibilities racked up and I no longer had time to play as much golf anymore. I love to watch movies. My wife and I are all hooked up on Netflix and can sit down and watch a lot of great movies, most of them end up falling asleep before the end. I like to read. But not books or novels or anything like that I like to read about sports. Sports Illustrated and baseball articles related to pitching. I also read the

newspaper every morning as I do my crossword puzzles. Activities I enjoy doing has changed throughout my adulthood because they used to involve going out and leaving the house a lot. Now they are more simple enjoyable things to do such as making a big fire in the backyard to sit around.” ● Which accomplishments are you most proud of? “I am accomplished of a lot of things, running track at a high level throughout high school, graduating from college, and making enough money to help support the beautiful family I am lucky enough to have. I am extremely proud of some of the fish I have caught in my day as well.” ● Do you do things to keep your mind active? If so, what are these things? “Yes, all the time I do. Such as my crossword puzzles, solitaire, and reading. I also like to keep up to date and aware with modern events going on in other parts of the world.” -

Keeping a mind active is very beneficial to overall mental health and wellbeing of an older adult. Cognitive training is an example of this. You are working on reasoning, memory, attention, and language that lead to the attainment of information. (“Computerized Cognitive Training during Physical Inactivity Improves Executive Functioning in Older Adults”, 2016) ● How would you describe yourself as a person and do you think you have changed as a person through your adult life? If so, how?

I would describe myself as hardworking, encouraging, and caring. I like to think of myself as coming off as very polite and generous, but those are traits for other people to give to me so I am not sure. I have gotten a lot better and controlling my temper and have become a lot more reasonable over the years. I definitely have changed as a person

throughout my adult life, but nothing to an extreme extent. I believe that everyone changes a little bit throughout their years but how can you not with all that life constantly throws at you. I guess a characteristic of myself that has changed is my reasoning. I used to be young and even more thickheaded and stubborn than I am now. But I do feel like I have taken a big step back from that side of me. IV. Family and Social Supports ● With whom do you live? I live with my wife and my youngest son. My two oldest daughters and my other son are moved out of the house with college/careers. Last but not least we have a dog named Cooper who keeps us great company as well. ● What relationships are most important to you and why? Have the importance of these relationships changed through your life? How have your relationships changed through your adult life? Has your satisfaction with these relationships changed through adulthood? My relationships with my wife and children come first. The relationship I had with my parents was very important to me before they passed away. Although my siblings and I don’t get along too well all the time, I try and keep in touch with them and make sure they are doing well. I have a few close friends that I enjoy being close with. We have a lot of fun together as a group as a bunch of old men. The importance in most of these relationships have stayed the same. Of course I have a lot of old friends that I no longer talk to, but I think that’s just part of life is separating and going to do your own thing. My satisfaction with some of these relationships has changed, I lost some great friends that I really enjoyed being around and that I didn’t want to end. They didn’t end, we just

drifted our separate ways. I wish I called and stayed in touch with some people from years back, it would be nice to hear from them and to see how they are doing.” ● Who is your best friend and why is this person your best friend? “My best friend is my college roommate. We haven’t been able to keep in touch a lot lately but it is a situation where I would feel weird if I didn’t still consider him my best friend because of all the things we have been through together.” ● How might it be important for you to matter to others? “I’m not really sure how to answer this question but, it is important for me to matter to others because I want to be able to be there for people. Whether it’s someone to talk to or give advice to or even needing help with a task around the house. I want to be that guy available to people. So in that case it is extremely important.” -

Now he does say this, but being a good influence on your children/wife/grandchildren is important. What happens if you get injured or get sick to a degree where you need someone to look after you? A good relationship with your family makes this an easier decision. Maybe hospice isn’t needed which could save a lot of money if you have a close family member willing to take care of you. (“Aging Families and Caregiving”, 2009) ● How often do you speak with your children and/or grandchildren?

“I speak to my children weekly who are in college and the oldest who is out of college. And I am forced to deal with my youngest everyday which is a blessing and headache at the same time.” ● How often might you visit with family? How often might you visit with friends?

“Regarding family we visit my wife’s family every year. So this year we are visiting for Christmas and next year it will be for thanksgiving. It alternates every year. We used to alternate that with my parents and siblings but ever since my parents died we haven’t made the trip. They truly brought us all together for the holidays.” ● How often might you speak with friends and what kinds of support do your friends provide for you? What kind of support might you provide for them? “I speak with my friends quite often and we will sit down and have some beers quite frequently. The support they provide me with is having someone to talk to. We all have similar things going on in our lives and it’s nice to be able to talk about serious things, or just sit back one night and talk about the most random things you could possibly think of. I like to feel that I do the same for them, some company together as we all grow old.” ● Are you involved in social, religious, or other groups? Which ones? How often do you attend meetings or services? What other activities do you participate in? “My family and I are Roman Catholic. We don’t attend church too often, way less than I would like but we always go on Easter and Christmas. I am on a team in a men’s bowling league throughout the winter months. I have been a part of this for almost 20 years now.” V. Work and Retirement ● What was or is your primary occupation and for how long did you work in this occupation? Were or are you satisfied with this occupation? Did you have any major career changes in your adult life? If so, what were they?

“My primary occupation is an independent contractor and I have been working in this business for about 18 yea...