Independent Elder Experience, Research Paper Example

Introduction

For this assignment, I chose to interview my mother in-law Virginia Bell, a 75 year-old widow and retired grade school teacher who lives alone in Michigan. She possesses a strong level of independence and continues to be active, in spite of her advancing age. She possesses a strong enthusiasm for life and continues to be very active on many fronts, including volunteer work, her church, a strict exercise regimen, and treasured time spent with her friends and family members. Virginia represents an important segment of the older adult population because she remains active and supportive of a positive and active lifestyle in many ways.

I have known Virginia for 26 years and we have had a very close relationship from the beginning. She and I have bonded over many experiences, and she continues to provide significant support and a listening ear in many situations. Over time, I have learned that Virginia is steadfastly independent and strives to do as much for herself as is humanly possible. This has been very important in enabling her mind and spirit to remain young, even though her body is aging. Virginia’s enthusiasm is infectious and she provides much joy to those with whom she has regular contact.

Virginia’s husband Harry, my father in-law, died in 2006 due to complications from lung cancer. Virginia worked as a grade school teacher for almost 45 years and retired in 2004 at the age of 65. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1962 and her master’s degree in 1975. Virginia speaks English as her primary language and enjoys reading, walking and ballroom dance, and spending time with her grandchildren. She is fiscally stable and also conservative, living on her retirement income and social security and has retirement health insurance and supplemental Medicare coverage. Virginia has a very strong support system and has one chronic health condition, hypertension, which she controls with proper nutrition, regular exercise, and medication. Her level of activity remains strong, as she still drives and walks almost every day, along with ballroom dance twice per month.

Nutritional Needs

For Virginia and other older adults with similar health statuses, it is important to identify the specific nutritional needs that are required to ensure positive health and quality of life. For example, protein and dairy products are essential for this population in the recommended allowances and only if patients are able to tolerate these foods (Kamp, Wellman, & Russell, 2010). Within her community, a senior center is only four miles away from her home, and the center provides services such as transportation, community meals, exercise classes, and group activities, including crafts and movie nights. The senior center is open 6 days per week from 9AM-8PM and even later on special event nights. Virginia is familiar with the center and has participated in one craft class, an exercise class, and one movie night. The meal offerings include lunches such as soup and sandwich and casserole dishes, served with milk, juice, coffee, or tea. Dinners include Italian meals such as spaghetti or lasagna, chicken dishes, and fish meals. Lunches are provided at a cost of 5.95 per person and dinners are 8.95 per person. The meals are basic and do not have much seasoning to accommodate those with dietary restrictions.

Nutritional Challenges & Related Fiscal Constraints

In performing the required activity, I learned that food is often cost prohibitive for many seniors and contributes to negative consequences for those who cannot easily afford basic food staples. Since Virginia is short, she must ask one of the stock personnel to reach items that are on the higher shelves at the grocery store, she typically wears her glasses to read food labels, and she uses a cart to store her items until they are purchased. For a typical week worth of groceries, Virginia spends approximately $65-$75, including products such as milk, chicken, bread, fruits and vegetables, cat food for her one female cat, paper products, and other personal items. In evaluating the store environment, seniors receive discounts all day on Wednesdays, and the store is mostly accommodating to older adults with wide aisles and open spaces. Products are generally easy to find and are grouped according to category, and in the event of the need to use public transportation, perhaps two trips to the store per week might lower the burden of managing groceries in large quantities. If the bill were to be cut in half, modifications would include the removal of almond milk, organic eggs, organic fruits and vegetables, and higher end bottled water and would be replaced with similar items at a lower cost.

Safety

Virginia is fortunate in that she is not required to take a variety of medications. Currently, she is prescribed one medication for high blood pressure (Lisinopril 20 mg), and she takes over the counter medication such as Motrin when she has muscle aches or headaches. In addition, she occasionally takes Zyrtec for allergy symptoms that are attributed to her cat. There are minimal side effects to her Lisinopril and she is very careful to pay proper attention to dosages through the use of a seven-day pill reminder box. For Virginia and for other patients of similar age, medication adherence is of critical importance and requires a high level understanding and acceptance of the need for medication to begin with and how it may improve quality of life at this stage (Cutler & Everett, 2010). In this capacity, it is important to identify the methods to educate older adults to ensure that they are able to self-medicate at the proper dosage to avoid further risks and potential self-harm (Cutler & Everett, 2010). Virginia exercises extreme caution when taking her medication and pays close attention to the dosage and any potential side effects so that she is prepared to contact her physician if the need arises. She is able to drive herself to her physician’s office for appointments and is only three miles from the local hospital.

Physical/Health Needs

Virginia has lived alone in a rented one-bedroom apartment at a slightly discounted rate on the first floor for the past five years. She sold her home after the death of her husband and decided to downsize. Her neighborhood is safe and has many offerings for older adults, such as nearby grocery stores, drugstores, banks, and other shopping needs. In addition, her physician’s office is only a 10-minute walk from her apartment. Her son and daughter in-law live 10 miles away and her other son lives out of state. Within this community, the water supply is provided by the city, as well as the sewage disposal. Within her apartment, screens are on each window, and she has a furnace with which she keeps warm in the winter months. She also has central air conditioning in her apartment. Virginia has her own car, a 2012 Toyota Corolla, and a valid license and drives occasionally to the store or to visit her children. She has vision restrictions on her license and no recent accidents. Virginia rarely uses public transportation but is not against the idea in order to visit local businesses, as well as her friends.

General Home Environment and Neighborhood Assessment

Virginia lives on the first floor of her apartment building and feels safe in her surroundings, as there is adequate light within the unit and in the hallways and surrounding the building. She is prepared to exit the building quickly and safely in the event of an emergency. She has a nightlight in her bedroom and in the bathroom, and the front door has a double lock, including a deadbolt. Her home provides good ventilation as well as heat and warmth in the appropriate months, and is equipped with one fire extinguisher and two smoke alarms. The bathroom appears to be safe and falls are prevented in the tub with a shower seat. The furniture is sturdy, the home phone is readily available, and the telephone is accessible close by, along with laundry facilities in the building.

Psycho/Social Needs

Older adults possess unique psychosocial needs to accommodate their wellbeing and longevity. Therefore, attention paid by friends and family members is critical, along with other considerations in order to prevent lasting complications and depressive symptoms (Forsman et.al, 2010; Luo & Waite, 2010). Virginia keeps herself occupied and active, thereby enabling her to experience a greater quality of life and a greater sense of contentment. Her ability to socialize with others has also been significant in advancing outcomes and in expanding the knowledge that is required to support her needs effectively through community-based efforts. Within her community, social activities play a role in maintaining her youthful spirit and focus on improving her life, one day at a time. In addition, she has access to support groups that would encourage her to take care of herself and to maintain a positive attitude regarding life for as long as possible.

Recommendations for elder/family for improvements

In order to achieve greater quality of life, Virginia must pay a visit to her physician on a quarterly basis and more frequently if an acute condition is suspected.

Virginia should utilize her community resources more effectively in order to expand her quality of life and communication with other people

Virginia should continue to maintain a healthy diet and exercise plan in order to improve her health and wellbeing into the future. She must also be able to recognize the need for additional support systems and resources as necessary to have a lasting impact on her quality of life in the coming years. She is likely to continue to remain active with an incentive to preserve her life for as long as possible.

References

Cutler, D. M., & Everett, W. (2010). Thinking outside the pillbox—medication adherence as a priority for health care reform. New England Journal of Medicine, 362(17), 1553-1555.

Forsman, A. K., Nordmyr, J., & Wahlbeck, K. (2011). Psychosocial interventions for the promotion of mental health and the prevention of depression among older adults. Health promotion international, 26(suppl 1), i85-i107.

Kamp, B. J., Wellman, N. S., & Russell, C. (2010). Position of the American dietetic association, American society for nutrition, and society for nutrition education: food and nutrition programs for community-residing older adults. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 42(2), 72-82.

Luo, Y., & Waite, L. J. (2011). Mistreatment and psychological well-being among older adults: Exploring the role of psychosocial resources and deficits.The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 66(2), 217-229.