Analysis of an interview with an Elder - Assignment Example

PLATINUM LEARNING ACTIVITY 3: ELDER INTERVIEW Platinum Learning Activity 3: Elder Interview Introduction The elderly constitute a very important section of the society today, especially because of their resourcefulness. Having been around for more than sixty years, they have seen and encountered many experiences. Consequently, to make a proper comparison of the nature of things between the present and the past, interviewing the elderly would be quite appropriate. I, therefore, set out to identify a 65-year old man who has had an average life and a checquered career. The respondent is married with three grown-up children, a son and two daughters. He has worked as a private investigator for an insurance company and is now in retirement. His wife is a human resource manager in a retail store. His eldest son is now married while the two daughters are still at the university. The respondent lays emphasis on the importance of university education. Findings The respondent has just retired from his job as a private investigator for an insurance company. He has spent a good part of adulthood working for various insurance companies. He lives with his family in Chicago in a decent house. He has three children, one son and two daughters. The son is married while the two daughters are still in the university pursuing careers in law and economics. His income has enabled them to live a fairly comfortable life. His wife is a human resource manager in one of the largest retail stores in the US. She is also approaching retirement age. He is generally happy with the course his life has taken. His income from his job as a private investigator has enabled him buy a decent home in Chicago. This is greatly supplemented by his wife’s income, and together, they have been able to make enough savings to sustain them in their old age. The eldest son is now working and can fend for himself and his wife. They have enough wherewithals to sustain their two daughters at the university with little difficulty. He is generally happy with the progress he has made family-wise. Nevertheless, he considers his health a major challenge. Owing to his age, his health is never perfect. He suffers from incessant bouts of high blood pressure, something that is not covered by health insurance. This is because he signed up for the health insurance when pre-existing conditions were a factor. Consequently, he is not completely covered. This implies that he may experience problems when his condition gets more acute because it would cost his family a considerable portion of their fortune. Nevertheless, he reflects upon his past with mixed feelings. There were times when the going would get tougher than expected, but his resolve, cultivated after many years of perseverance and the spirit to keep moving, would see him through. He remembers those times when he would be between jobs and his wife was unemployed. However, the tide turned when both he and his wife landed permanent jobs. The respondent has made various achievements. First, he has been able to educate all his children to university level. His first-borne son is actually through with his education and is now living an independent life. His two daughters are currently at the university. He has also managed to buy a home for his family in Chicago. This is in spite of the fact the country faces a housing problem which arises from widespread unemployment. A good number of the citizens are too poor to afford decent homes. Moreover, the respondent has been able to provide basic needs for his family without problems. He has also received a decent education. However, the respondent has had a few failures. He has only had a college education. He did not go to the university to upgrade his education. Consequently, it was difficult for him to secure a better-paying job. He has also not been able to buy his children a car due to limited resources. They have one old family car. In addition, the amount he receives from social security may not be sufficient for all their needs and, as such, he will have to cut out some items from the family budget. The respondent is also able to compare the past and the present. To begin with, racial relations in the US have improved for the past fifty years. Secondly, there have been tremendous improvements in the transport and telecommunication sector. The respondent also mentions that gay rights have been brought into the limelight. The advent of the internet has virtually turned the world into a global village. He also adds that the threat of terrorism is now a constant matter of concern more than ever before. However, a number of things have not changed much. He cites social welfare for the elderly, the quality of life for the low-income earners, and unemployment as areas that have remained constant. He has some advice for the youth. First, he underscores the value of higher education. He emphasizes that the world has changed socially, technologically and even politically. Consequently, there is need for advanced education for those individuals who need to fit into it. Therefore, a high school education, or even a college education, may not be enough to enable one to acquire a well-paying job. This is because one needs advanced skills in order to merit the job description of the few available jobs. For this reason, he has strived to ensure that his children undergo a university education. Reflection The findings of this interview present several lessons to us. There is need to take our education seriously. There is stiff competition on the current job market owing to the saturation. The saturation results from the fact that every year, learning institutions churn out graduates who have to compete for the few available jobs. However, a person with a university education stands a better chance to land a well-paying job compared to those without. The theory of successful aging that fits into the findings of this interview is the Selective Optimization and Compensation model (SOC). The theory, developed by Baltes, states that aging is a heterogeneous process with different pathways and outcomes1. People select life domains which are useful to them in so far as they lead to a successful life. They, therefore, optimize their resources towards making the chosen domains successful. The respondent’s life fits into this argument because he chose to work for the better part of his adulthood so as to provide for the family and educate his children. His income constituted an important resource which he utilized to sustain his family and educate his children. There are several things that apply to my own life in this interview. First, the issue of education applies to me. This is because I am a student and I need to work hard to excel at the university so that I can get a good job in future. In addition, the respondent’s resolve also applies to me. I have a determination to succeed in life. Bibliography Ouwehand, Carolijn, de Riddler, Denise T. D. and Bensing, Jozien M. “A Review of Successful Aging Models: Proposing Proactive Coping as an Important Additional Strategy.” Clinical Psychology Review 27(2007): 873-884. Read More