Interview with a Senior

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Past and Present Social Support

When we began talking about the subject of support I kind of got the feeling that she really wasn’t comfortable talking about the subject at all. However she pushed in anyway and told about her brothers and sister all supporting each other and how quickly it all ended. She began to cry when she discussed her brothers moving away and her sister dying at the age of 18. This surprised me because as long as I have known this woman I have only heard her talk about brothers. I guess she just never felt comfortable talking about it. She did however begin to smile and even chuckle a little when she discussed Chester and all he did to support her and even closed her eyes for just a moment, lost in a memory I suppose, when she discussed her children singing with her in stage. I felt honored when she included me in her list of support cast, because I have known this woman for a long time and called her “mom” long before I ever thought about marrying her daughter. I was happy that this was the last question that would ask her to delve into her past before her first marriage, it just seemed like a bad area of discussion.

Recreational and Meaningful Activities

There wasn’t really much t talk about when it came to recreational activities. She seemed the most excited when talking about biking and walking with her husband and carrying on. She just seemed bored entirely with the subject as if she felt it was useless to discuss the subject altogether. That being said, when we talked about the meaningful activities, she changed her demeanor as if to go from being bored to being excited. She felt nostalgic when she talked about all the places her ministry has taken her, and the friends that she made along the way. However, she let out a few tears of joy when talking about spending time with her family.

Conclusion

When determining whether or not someone is aging healthy there are certain aspects to be considered such as “low risk of disease and disease-related disability, high mental and physical function, and active engagement with life.” (Hartman-Stein, & Potkanowicz, 2003). I feel that JoAnn Kelly is the perfect advocate for healthy aging. She moves around better than I do half the time, she is constantly active, not only physically, but socially as well. She is happy where she is in her life and with her relationship with God, giving more and more faith every day. Through this interview I have learned more about my mother-in-law in this hour and 15 minutes than I have in the last two years. I only hope that when I reach that age I am able to be as active as she is and show my grandchildren the role model of healthy aging.

References

Berger, K. S. (2011). The Developing Person Through the Life Span (8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Hartman-Stein, P., & Potkanowicz, E. (2003). Behavioral determinants of healthy aging: good news for the baby boomer generation. Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 8(2), 17p.

Potkanowicz, E., Hartman-Stein, P., & Biermann, J. (2009). Behavioral determinants of health aging revisited: an update on the good news for the Baby Boomer generation. Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 14(3), 11.