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Older Adult Interview PDF

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Added on  2021-12-17

Older Adult Interview PDF

   Added on 2021-12-17

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Running head: OLDER ADULT INTERVIEW
Older Adult Interview
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
Older Adult Interview  PDF_1
1OLDER ADULT INTERVIEW
Introduction of the Interviewee
My Interviewee (Mrs. X) is a 78 years old woman. She is an African American
female who is widowed after 60 years of marriage. Her husband was a war veteran and she
was a housewife. Both her sons lives out of the city and comes to visit her once a month. She
has a maidservant who performs the household activities. She was married at the age 18 and
that preventing her completing higher education. Her financial status is satisfactory as her
receives family pension.
Session 1
Circumstances surrounding the interview
The interview was scheduled at 10 am in the morning, taking the informed consent
from Mrs. X. I also gave her a call the night before the interview in order to provide her a
reminder and she said she is aware of it. Mrs. X opted to conduct the interview at her home
and thus her home was selected as the interview venue. I reached her home at 10 am sharp
and I rang her doorbell. After standing for 10 minutes when no response came from inside
then I rang the bell once again and then a thin voice came, “coming”. After 5 minutes, Mrs. X
opened the door. I found her a tall lean woman with uncombed hair and wearing a pale
housecoat. Although she was holding her walking stick in her hands, she was facing difficulty
in maintaining her body balance. While opening the she said, “Sorry I kept you waiting but
my maidservant is no leave today and due to my knee pain and poor eyesight, my mobility is
restricted”. I said, “Not a problem”. She directed me to the dining room where the interview
is to be scheduled. I found the room disorganized with things loitering here and there. When
Mrs. X settled down in her chair, I started the interview with her consent and switched on the
audio recorded. Through the interview, I found the Mrs. X is facing difficulty in recollecting
Older Adult Interview  PDF_2
2OLDER ADULT INTERVIEW
her thoughts and at times her sentences lacked linkage. Her frequently urge to urinate
interrupted the interview process.
Interview for Session 1
Given in the Appendix Section
Interview summary
In the interview summary, I can be highlighted that Mr. X is lonely and she misses her
husband. She also tends to forget things and have several physiological complications. These
prevent her from performing activities of her choice. She is not technologically advanced.
She also suffers from lack of confidence due to her looks and current lifestyle. Talking and
playing with her grandchildren makes her happy.
Integration of concepts
The main concept, which was highlighted in this interview, was aging and loneliness.
According to Courtin and Knapp (2017), loneliness and social isolation results from
numerous adverse health consequences. Steptoe et al. (2013) further stated that loneliness
further increases the vulnerability of poor health conditions. Loneliness affects mobility and
this might be the reason behind the decrease in the motor function of Mrs. X apart from the
obvious reason of dementia. The study conducted by Courtin and Knapp (2017), highlighted
that among the cognitive normal senior citizens who were tested per year, the risk of
developing Alzheimer’s dementia was twice among the lonely elderly adults in comparison to
those who were not lonely. Loneliness cause depression and disrupts the synergy of health
and well-being.
Older Adult Interview  PDF_3
3OLDER ADULT INTERVIEW
Another concept which was that can be highlighted from the interview is decline in
life satisfaction with ageing. From the interview, it is clear that Mr. X is unsatisfied with her
life, be it for her looks, her health related conditions, inability to perform daily living
activities or inability to perform her hobbies. The study conducted by Maher and Conroy
(2015) revealed that health and economic conditions are main predictors of life satisfaction.
In case of Mr. X, her health condition was declining but her economic condition was stable.
Her ailing health condition resulted in decline in the level of life satisfaction.
Personal feelings from the interview
It is difficult to say about the relationship and the intimacy status that I have
developed with Mr. X. However, if I was asked to share the impression of my first interview
then I would like to highlight that I felt Sorry for Mrs. X. She was lonely in spite of having a
family. Lack of proper self-care and assistance coming from the family members have
prevented her from aging healthy. Moreover, lack of companionship is the reason behind her
loneliness. The sense of loneliness or feeling alone have decreased her satisfaction in life and
making her more reluctant to take initiatives in healthy living activities. I feel that at some
point of time people will gradually lose their neat and dear ones as human are mortal. But life
goes on and it is our responsibility to take proper self-care to lead to healthy life both
physically and mentally.
Older Adult Interview  PDF_4
4OLDER ADULT INTERVIEW
Session 2
Introduction of Interviewee
During the next semester, when I came to visit Mr. X, I found her more fresh and
rejuvenating. She had her hair neatly combed and wearing a nice housecoat. She also greeted
me with a smile offered me snacks. She told her maid helped her to dress for the interview
and she asked her maid to maid snacks for me. I realized that I left a good impression upon
her during my last visit. However, the forgetfulness of Mrs. X was same as before and she
was speaking softly.
Interview Session 2
Given in appendix
Interview Summary
In the summary of the interview, it can be said that childhood of Mrs. X was filled
will abuse, bullying and racisms due to her aboriginal origin. Her constant victimization and
early marriage ceased her marriage in the mid-way. From the summary of the interview, it
can also be said that Mrs. X was a strong women, full with confidence. She single handedly
managed her family during the turmoil like when her husband was sick. She was well known
for her handcrafts. However, as she aged her physical strength decreased and so is her
emotional strength. She lost her self-confidence. She lack concept of healthy aging.
Integration of concepts
The concepts that can be clearly highlighted in this interview include lack of proper
knowledge about healthy ageing. According to Marsman et al. (2018), the majority of the
older adults lack proper knowledge about healthy aging. In case of Mrs. X she has not clear
prospective to keep herself mentally and physically healthy. Marsman et al. (2018) are of the
Older Adult Interview  PDF_5
5OLDER ADULT INTERVIEW
opinion that person centered care with focus on the concept of healthy ageing and emphasis
on the need on the intrinsic capacity of an individual is instrumental to healthy aging. Healthy
aging affects mental and physical healthy positively. In relation to healthy aging, Hamer,
Lavoie and Bacon (2014) argued that healthy consumption of nutritional food, performance
to mild to moderate physical activity along with performing hobbies of choice (to overcome
stress) are three principal parameters of healthy aging. However, proper educations to the
older adults are required to be undertaken in order to make them aware about healthy aging.
Hamer, Lavoie and Bacon (2014) emphasized on manual assistance in order to help the older
adults to take comprehensive steps in healthy ageing. Marciniak et al., (2014) stated that daily
meditation helps in the promotion of the cognitive function, which help in healthy aging.
Another concept, which evolved from the interview, includes increase in spiritual
thoughts among the older adults. This similar concept was reflected in the experts of
interview of Mrs. X. She stated that her physical and her emotional strength have decreased
but her spiritual mindset has again a new in sight during the course of time. According to
Shukla (2015), aging is a part of natural life cycle of every human being. According to the
theory of gerontology, the concept of positive aging deals with disease prevention, mental
wellness in order to increase the quality of life. Prevention of occurrence of the disease
among the older adults is somewhat complicated as the physical health becomes immune-
compromised. Thus, the older adults concentrate over the mental well-being and this
achieved through increase in the sense of spiritual thoughts. Dick (2014) further stated that
spirituality has both direct and indirect influence over the physical and mental well-being.
Understanding the individual’s perspective from the spiritual point of view is important,
given under the context of issues of loss, physical illness and sense of mortality confronted
among the older adults.
Older Adult Interview  PDF_6

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