The elderly play a significant role in modern society by being the link between the older generation and the current one. The United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO) consider anybody 60 or older to be elderly (World Health Organization, 2018). However, various socio-cultural references are frequently used to define aging in households and communities, such as familial position (grandparents), personal features, or age-related health problems. Age-related changes in old age include dementia, hearing loss, immunosuppression leading to chronic illnesses, vision loss, depression, back pain, and osteoarthritis (World Health Organization, 2018). I interviewed my elderly neighbor, Mr. X, and he told me about his family life, the changes he has seen, what life has taught him, and the advice he would offer to the younger generation.
Description of Older Adults
Late adulthood is one of the life stages correlating with particular characteristics in regard to transition, traits, and individual changes. For example, the life course transition from middle adulthood to late adulthood, as mentioned by researchers, is relatively stable (Weiss et al., 2022). The notion correlates with the fact that older adults maintain stable relationships compared to the same variable during transitions to adolescence and young adulthood. Nonetheless, multiple psychological, biological, and social alterations take place as a result of one reaching a certain age. The changes are essential to understanding to relate to the experiences, viewpoints, and commentary of individuals from this specific age group.
In regards to physiological changes, older adults go through a major transition. Namely, researchers mention the risk of developing chronic conditions correlating with heart disease, proneness to diabetes, and increased cancer cases (Elliott et al., 2021). Other physical alterations are reduced strength, cognitive impairments, memory decrease, and hearing issues. Psychological changes also occur during this specific life stage. Current literature highlights the high rate of depression among older individuals (Ebrahimi et al., 2022). This may correlate with such factors as losing loved ones, which is a major influence, especially considering individuals in this life stage are more likely not to have parents who are alive and go through the death of a life-long partner (Quadagno, 2021). Seniors also commonly have dementia and anxiety and tend to be more isolated from the outside world. Such circumstances are worsened by the inability to access support systems and social relationships. As mentioned prior, experiences of losing a loved one or friends and family members hinder opportunities to socialize and engage in communication. While support systems exist both concerning children and friends, they are less prominent as one’s lifestyle does not imply frequent interactions.
Reflection on the Interview
The interview made me recognize the reality of the age-related changes that occur in advanced age. Mr. X had some age-related changes and fully admitted that he was aging, and his wife also had diabetes and hypertension. I noticed that the older people observe the young generation’s behavior, as Mr. X narrated several differences he noted compared to their era. When older adults are insulted or mocked by the young, they experience psychological distress. Therefore, as the young generation, we show love and compassion toward the elderly. Older adults can advise the young, as they have lived for a long time. It was also fascinating to learn about Mr. X and his relation to the condition that he has terminal cancer. On the one hand, he acknowledges that it will not disappear, while, on the other hand, he refuses to accept the factual truth. This correlates with the notion of depression as one of the stages of death (Quadagno, 2021). While understanding the consequences, Mr. X has not yet accepted them. Nonetheless, it was also informed that at 80 years old, Mr. X still aims to do good things for society. This highlights that every individual can be useful and important despite their age, physical disabilities, and barriers that they encounter. Thus, while Mr. X is somewhat aware of his health problems and the outcome that correlates with a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer, he does not see it as a challenge concerning the difference he can make through charitable actions.
The interview was eye-opening as the realization of life stage transition has become more apparent after communicating with Mr. X. He notices the differences just as people around him notice them. The aforementioned changes mentioned by researchers, namely physiological and psychological alterations, are observed by the people around Mr. X and by himself as a result. In this case, the individual in question did not refuse to acknowledge that his body and mind were changing. It was rather liberating to see that Mr. X was accepting of his transition despite the lack of desire to accept his condition, cancer.
The experience of communicating with Mr. X has further strengthened my understanding of older adulthood as a life stage. Instead of only considering the negative aspects, Mr. X has illustrated the positive aspects of the life stage. Namely, he highlighted such elements as the ability to help others, the experience that he can use to share with the younger generation, and further circumstances. Thus, while the period of life correlates with the aforementioned physical and psychological barriers, benefits can be found both by the person experiencing older adulthood and by the people around them.
Relation to Course Material
The interview highlighted several points that have been observed in the course material. Namely, the authors mention the stages of death, which Mr. X himself experiences, most likely in the form of depression. He has not yet accepted his diagnosis but acknowledges the negative consequences of having cancer at a late stage. Moreover, the authors mention the emotional hardship correlating with the loss of a loved one (Quadagno, 2021). While Mr. X’s wife is alive, he is worried about her declining health and chronic condition, which facilitates a more pessimistic outlook on life. This may be related to the concept of anticipatory grief in which one griefs due to the understanding that their partner is at a stage in which not much time is left. The course material also mentions the process of withdrawal correlating with dying when an individual is less likely to engage in activities they once enjoyed (Quadagno, 2021). In this case, it is safe to assume that Mr. X is not at that stage as he is rather involved in helping the community or makes plans to do so. Thus, he has not yet acknowledged the consequences linked to his terminal cancer, which is why this particular element of withdrawal is delayed and not yet experienced. Nonetheless, the course material was explored further during the practical interview as multiple concepts were illustrated during the discussion.
Reference
Ebrahimi, H., Hosseinzadeh, M., Seifi Saray, R., Wilson, M., & Namdar Areshtanab, H. (2022). Ability of older adults to recognize cognitive changes and its relationship with Mental Health: A cross-sectional study. BMC Geriatrics, 22(1). Web.
Elliott, M. L., Caspi, A., Houts, R. M., Ambler, A., Broadbent, J. M., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H. L., Hogan, S., Keenan, R., Knodt, A., Leung, J. H., Melzer, T. R., Purdy, S. C., Ramrakha, S., Richmond-Rakerd, L. S., Righarts, A., Sugden, K., Thomson, W. M., Thorne, P. R., … Moffitt, T. E. (2021). Disparities in the pace of Biological Aging among midlife adults of the same chronological age have implications for future frailty risk and policy. Nature Aging, 1(3), 295–308. Web.
Quadagno , J. (2021). Aging and the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology (8th ed.). McGraw Hill.
Weiss, J., Lawton, L. E., & Fischer, C. S. (2022). Life course transitions and changes in network ties among younger and older adults. Advances in Life Course Research, 52, 100478. Web.
World Health Organization. (2018). Ageing and health. Web.