As the elderly enter into the last stage of their lives they face many challenges. To fully acclimate to aging and to be able to thrive in this new stage, the elderly must adapt to lifestyle changes. Along with the significant physical changes that occurs with aging, older adults often experience deterioration in psychological and socioeconomic status. Nevertheless, the various aspects of aging are unique to each individual’s phase of his/her life’s history.
Several psychosocial theorists have identified stages and tasks for each age group. Erick Erikson whose' work is well known called the stage pertaining to older adults ego integrity versus despair. Essentially, Erik Erikson believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about …show more content…
My subject was a 90 year old divorcee. She has an upbeat personality and a pleasant demeanor. She has no siblings alive. She is very religious, which plays a major role in her life. She was born in Jamaica and migrated to the United States in the 1970’s. She has 10 children, 8 biological and 2 of whom are adopted. 9 out of her 10 children are alive. In addition, she has countless grand and great grandchildren. Her employment profile includes nanny, housekeeping and foster care worker. She is an amputee and uses a walker. She resides with one of her daughters who is her primary caregiver. Her medical conditions include diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and many more ailments she could not remember. She is on a slew of medications, but was unable to recall the names. Her income source is from Social Security; she was unable to recall how much she receives but knows that it’s not enough to survive …show more content…
She believes God put her on earth to help her fellow human beings. Hence, she got into foster care and throughout out her career as a foster mother, she cared for over 100 children either born addicted to drugs and alcohol or children from homes where they were exposed to these elements. Her work spoke volume because a few of the foster children that kept in touch over the years are living productive lives. Also, she was recognized by the city of New York for her contribution to this vulnerable and marginalized segment of the population. She beamed with pride as she talked about her accomplishments.
In addition, she felt she accomplished her life’s goal by becoming a homeowner, which brought her great satisfaction because as an immigrant that was part of her American dream. She reported after moving to this country she realized the values of becoming a homeowner, which included having more control over her life.
To conclude, during the last stage of life, one’s lifestyle can slow down physically and mentally. The lens in which they view their lives can impact their feelings of satisfaction for what was accomplished or regrets for what was not
Several psychosocial theorists have identified stages and tasks for each age group. Erick Erikson whose' work is well known called the stage pertaining to older adults ego integrity versus despair. Essentially, Erik Erikson believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about …show more content…
My subject was a 90 year old divorcee. She has an upbeat personality and a pleasant demeanor. She has no siblings alive. She is very religious, which plays a major role in her life. She was born in Jamaica and migrated to the United States in the 1970’s. She has 10 children, 8 biological and 2 of whom are adopted. 9 out of her 10 children are alive. In addition, she has countless grand and great grandchildren. Her employment profile includes nanny, housekeeping and foster care worker. She is an amputee and uses a walker. She resides with one of her daughters who is her primary caregiver. Her medical conditions include diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and many more ailments she could not remember. She is on a slew of medications, but was unable to recall the names. Her income source is from Social Security; she was unable to recall how much she receives but knows that it’s not enough to survive …show more content…
She believes God put her on earth to help her fellow human beings. Hence, she got into foster care and throughout out her career as a foster mother, she cared for over 100 children either born addicted to drugs and alcohol or children from homes where they were exposed to these elements. Her work spoke volume because a few of the foster children that kept in touch over the years are living productive lives. Also, she was recognized by the city of New York for her contribution to this vulnerable and marginalized segment of the population. She beamed with pride as she talked about her accomplishments.
In addition, she felt she accomplished her life’s goal by becoming a homeowner, which brought her great satisfaction because as an immigrant that was part of her American dream. She reported after moving to this country she realized the values of becoming a homeowner, which included having more control over her life.
To conclude, during the last stage of life, one’s lifestyle can slow down physically and mentally. The lens in which they view their lives can impact their feelings of satisfaction for what was accomplished or regrets for what was not