Adult Development and Aging - Assignment Example

Leisure and Older Adults (Individual Interview project Log) 4Logs!! During the visit, Allan was 67 years and lived with his wife Leah and daughter Mary. Allan gladly explained that his physical health was credited to a schedule he and his wife used to exercise and their physical activities included walking a pet, fishing and treasure hunting (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). When alone, Allan goes for jogging for two hours in the morning since his wife who had stroke seven years ago is unable to engage in strenuous activities. From me Allan learnt that Mary their 23 years old daughter can be of assistance in gardening and spending time with nature in a park near their home for stress relief and relaxation. From Allan, I learnt that the idea of gardening was wonderful and he said that he was willing to begin a gardening competition in coming days and have more elderly persons participate (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). Part two Allan ismy neighbors and understands leisure since he learnt its importance after physical therapy recommendation to assist his wife in recovering from stroke. Since then, it has been his responsibility to plan physical activity schedules for his wife without straining her. He too decided to take up exercise to remain physically mobile and fit (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). Allan was quick to reveal that the choices of leisure at his age had changed since he would not engage in strenuous activities like cycling and swimming among others. At his age, running is strenuous and exhaustive while nature walks are commendable. Log Two: Part One Person Visited: Immaculate Netle Date and Location of visit: 11 April 2013, Florida Time in: 0830 Time Out: 1030 In the interview we discussed her volunteer work in a local community center. Volunteering to Netle enables her to interact with people and be free from stress. In addition, Netle prefers walking to the voluntary center which is near her house to remain physically mobile. From the interview, she reveals to me that she had been an obese woman in her late forties but with the inclusion of movement oriented physical activities to her diet she has managed to reduce her weight to a healthy level. From the visit, Netle learnt that she could volunteer in a gym in the local community and assist other elders in engaging in movement-oriented outdoor and indoor exercise. I learnt that volunteering is enjoyable especially for older persons living alone (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). Part two Mrs. Netle is a 69 year African American women who lives alone. Every day, Mrs. Netle has a schedule to volunteer at a local community center for hobby classes. The aim of hobby classes is to ensure that elderly people identify activities they can actively participate in to remain physically mobile, interact with others and relax. Netle said she understood leisure as freedom from work demands and duty. Apart from volunteering, Netle has a three hours part time job everyday where she works as a tutor for group of obese African Americans in her community. Her experience with obesity makes her a suitable tutor to the elderly. The recommendation to engage in jogging is good suitable for her weight (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). Log Three: Part One Person Visited: Martin Houston Date and Location of visit: 12 April 2013, Florida Time in: 1100hr Time Out: 1300hr The interview discussed leisure time and leisure activities engaged by Martin. He lives with two of his grandchildren, Martin, I and the grandchildren engaged in a treasure hunting game. He said this game occupied most of his leisure time especially now that he had a metal detector to make the game more fun (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). Martin also noted that he was active in container gardening where he planted several types of vegetables in his backyard. From me, Martin learnt that he could use of his acting talent to train young children of at church and have them participate in skits and drama. Conversely, I understood from Martin that elder persons should look around them for available opportunities they can actively participate and be physically mobile (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). Part Two Martin is a 71 year old White male living with his wife and two grandchildren. Martin and his wife actively participate in leisure alone or with their grandchildren. Martin was a former elementary school teacher oriented to children and drama. Martin revealed that to him leisure was a moment when he could engage in fun activities like walking and gardening flee from daily work demands (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). Since he is retired, Martin also uses leisure to relax. With changes in age, his leisure activities have changed to focus more on movement and outdoors. Though he attends the gym, the frequency is two hours a week while the rest of the time is spent on outdoor leisure activities. In my view, Martin should mentor Sunday school children and assist them in drama and acting. Log 4: Part One Person Visited: Christine Morgan Date and Location of visit: 12 April 2013, Florida Time in: 1400hr Time Out: 1600hr The visit involved an interview and participation in walking a pet. Topics discussed included his work background and what she did with her free time. I also enquired about how he planned to overcome immobility as she grew older (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2010). After the interview we walked her pet around a nearby park accompanied by her husband. I realized that Christine liked fishing and was a member of community fish rearing program. From me, Christine learnt that she could engage in fishing during fish harvest time or from a nearby river. I learnt that Christine was enthusiastic and wanted to learn new ways she could explore her hobbies in gardening using container gardens to meet her vegetable needs. I learnt that older persons can use container gardens to meet vegetable needs and eat healthily. Part Two Mrs. Morgan is a 70 year old White woman married to an Asian American. She is a business woman and understands that at her age, leisure time is an essential way of relaxation, freedom from work duties and demands while promoting healthy mobility. Mrs. Morgan has a leisure time of one hour each day and her leisure activities can range from walking a pet to golfing every Saturday. On Sunday, she prefers walking to church which is located one kilometer from her house. At her age, only golfing has not changed while she has to abandon running for walking. She also confesses that despite being a good swimmer, she can no longer swim. For a woman with an adventurous spirit as Mrs. Morgan, I believe golfing is fantastic and comes with the joy that keeps her feeling younger and physically mobile. References Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, F. (2010). Adult Development and Aging. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Read More