Aging Interview. The purpose of this assignment is to examine the physical, cognitive, socioemotional, and cultural factors that have influence late adulthood. You will also apply concepts of growth and development to health and wellness in this life stage based on information gained in the interview.
1. For this assignment, you will interview an adult who is at least 70 years of age.
2. Include in your interview the following questions. (You may ask additional questions to guide the gathering of relevant information).
a. What does successful aging mean to you? Do you feel you have aged successfully and why or why not?
b. How did your younger years prepare you for aging? What factors in your early adult years most influenced the person you are now?
c. Describe what aging has been like for you in the following areas:
i. Physical
ii. Emotional
iii. Cognitive
iv. Social
d. What lifestyle issues are most important to you? How has this changed from your young or middle adult years?
e. Describe your perspective of well-being? What are the health/wellness issues that concern you and how are you addressing them now?
f. Describe one thing that has been the most difficult for you to adjust to in your later years. What have you done to help make the adjustment?
g. If you could give one piece of advice to young people, what would it be?
3. Provide a written or recorded record of the responses to your questions.
4. Analyze your interview in a summary of approximately 2 pages:
a. Identify and apply 2 different theories from the readings in this aging lesson that were evident in the information you gathered. (Describe how the interviewees responses reflected these theories.)
b. Analyze whether or not your interviewees responses were different from what you anticipated.
c. Evaluate how this interview has affected your own attitudes, beliefs, or perspectives on late adulthood.
