Interview with an older adult paper
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The big project in the class
University
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Course
Aging People, Policy and Management (AGNG 200 )
Academic year2018/2019I 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
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”,
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, whathelp 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 Mature- Age 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 anyour 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 onreasoning, 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
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 years now. It was not at all what I expected to be doing but I figured out when I started it is that it pays well, it is just tough on my body. I was a marketing major out of college and had multiple marketing jobs when I was younger. I even painted 18 wheelers at one point believe it or not. This was my major career change though. Being a manager at a firm and actually having guard dogs who protected the building only listen to me and turning into a flooring contractor. Life kind of takes weird turns on you at times and you learn to just roll with it.” ● Do you currently work? (If “no”, go to the next question). If so, what kind
worthwhile.
Works Cited Levy, B. R., Slade, M. D., Kunkel, S. R., & Kasl, S. V. (2002). Longevity increased by positive self-perceptions of aging. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(2), 261-270. dx.doi/10.1037/0022-3514.83.2.
Becca R. Levy, Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, Rebecca Hencke, Jeanne Y. Wei; Reducing Cardiovascular Stress With Positive Self-Stereotypes of Aging, The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 55, Issue 4, 1 July 2000, Pages P205– P213, doi/10.1093/geronb/55.4.P Erdman Palmore, PhD; The Ageism Survey: First Findings, The Gerontologist, Volume 41, Issue 5, 1 October 2001, Pages 572- 575, doi/10.1093/geront/41.5. McFadden, S. H. (1995), Religion and Well-Being in Aging Persons in an Aging Society. Journal of Social Issues, 51: 161–175. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01329 Fried, L., Carlson, M., Freedman, M. et al. J Urban Health (2004) 81: 64. doi/10.1093/jurban/jth David Meunier, Emmanuel A. Stamatakis, Lorraine K. Tyler, Age-related functional reorganization, structural changes, and preserved cognition, In Neurobiology of Aging, Volume 35, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 42-54, ISSN 0197-4580, doi/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.07.003. Carol T. Kulik, Sanjeewa Perera, Christina Cregan, Engage Me: The Mature-Age Worker and Stereotype ThreatACAD MANAGE J December 2016 59:6 2132- 2156; published ahead of print May 2, 2016, amj.aom/content/59/6/2132.full Chodzko-Zajko, Wojtek J. Ph.; Moore, Kathleen A. M. Physical Fitness and Cognitive Functioning in Aging. Exercise & Sport Sciences Reviews: January 1994 – Volume 22 – Issue 1 – page 195-
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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
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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)
-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.
-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?
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Ethics And Professional IssuesNone“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 Mature-
Age 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 years now. It was not at all what I expected to be doing but I
figured out when I started it is that it pays well, it is just tough on my body. I was a
marketing major out of college and had multiple marketing jobs when I was younger. I
even painted 18 wheelers at one point believe it or not. This was my major career change
though. Being a manager at a firm and actually having guard dogs who protected the
building only listen to me and turning into a flooring contractor. Life kind of takes weird
turns on you at times and you learn to just roll with it.”
●Do you currently work? (If “no”, go to the next question). If so, what kind
of work do you do? Do you work part-time or full-time?
“Full time independent contractor. I install all different types of floors such as hardwood,
tile, carpet, and so on. I also redo bathrooms and backsplashes as well.”
●What are your plans for retirement?
“My wife and I make a joke that we will be working until they dig our graves. All
kidding aside I have one more kid to put through college and until then, retirement isn’t
happening any time soon. We do have a good 401K plan set up for us though.”
What I concluded from this interview is that there is a lot that goes into aging. I
also noticed that throughout the interview, a lot of the questions involved a form of what
makes the person happy. A positive perception on life as discussed in (citation 1).
Physical and psychological health were interesting to listen about regarding an older
person. A common misconception we tend not to think about is back then working out
was not as common as it is today. Not many people at all lifted weights or went on runs
to stay in shape. I never thought about that until during the interview. Cognitive aging is
a term I have had to look up multiple times but I won’t be able to forget it anymore.
Throughout the interview, words I had no idea what they meant were being said and used
by my interviewee that I had to dummy them down to put into this essay. I think that is
pretty cool considering the fact that it’s what we are studying and it happens daily to us
and we don’t even realize it. A common theme I also took from this interview is that
everything is revolved around family. And that family can make everything okay because
as long as you have one another it makes life that much more enjoyable and worthwhile.
Works Cited
Levy, B. R., Slade, M. D., Kunkel, S. R., & Kasl, S. V. (2002). Longevity increased by
positive self-perceptions of aging. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
83(2), 261-270.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.2.261
Becca R. Levy, Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, Rebecca Hencke, Jeanne Y. Wei; Reducing
Cardiovascular Stress With Positive Self-Stereotypes of Aging, The Journals of
Gerontology: Series B, Volume 55, Issue 4, 1 July 2000, Pages P205–
P213, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/55.4.P205
Erdman Palmore, PhD; The Ageism Survey: First Findings, The Gerontologist, Volume
41, Issue 5, 1 October 2001, Pages 572-
575, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/41.5.572
McFadden, S. H. (1995), Religion and Well-Being in Aging Persons in an Aging Society.
Journal of Social Issues, 51: 161–175. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01329.x
Fried, L.P., Carlson, M.C., Freedman, M. et al. J Urban Health (2004) 81: 64.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jurban/jth094
David Meunier, Emmanuel A. Stamatakis, Lorraine K. Tyler, Age-related functional
reorganization, structural changes, and preserved cognition, In Neurobiology of
Aging, Volume 35, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 42-54, ISSN 0197-4580,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.07.003.
Carol T. Kulik, Sanjeewa Perera, Christina Cregan, Engage Me: The Mature-Age Worker
and Stereotype ThreatACAD MANAGE J December 2016 59:6 2132-
2156; published ahead of print May 2, 2016,
http://amj.aom.org/content/59/6/2132.full
Chodzko-Zajko, Wojtek J. Ph.D.; Moore, Kathleen A. M.S. Physical Fitness and
Cognitive Functioning in Aging. Exercise & Sport Sciences Reviews: January
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Uros Marusic, Bruno Giordani, Scott D. Moffat, Mojca Petrič, Petra Dolenc, Rado
Pišot, Voyko Kavcic. (2016) Computerized cognitive training during physical
inactivity improves executive functioning in older adults. Aging,
Neuropsychology, and Cognition 0:0, pages 1-21.
Jessica Foley Ph.D.Mark Ettenhofer, Matthew J. Wright, Iraj Siddiqi, Melissa Choi, April
D. Thames, Karen Mason, Steven Castellon, Charles H. Hinkin.
(2010) Neurocognitive functioning in HIV-1 infection: effects of cerebrovascular
risk factors and age. The Clinical Neuropsychologist 24:2, pages 265-285.
Lauren M. Potter, Madeleine A. Grealy. (2008) Aging and Inhibition of a Prepotent
Motor Response during an Ongoing Action. Aging, Neuropsychology, and
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Qualls, S. H., & Zarit, S. H. (2009). Aging Families and Caregiving. Hoboken, NJ: John
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Company
Interview with an older adult paper
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