Question: Practice I: Understanding Generalist Practice Older Adult Interview. (Obtained from the Gero Ed website through CSWE)

Purpose: From inception we begin to age. Our feelings and perceptions of aging change as we travel through development stages. This exercise has several purposes.

First: it will help you get in touch with your history.

Second: you will be able to better understand how those who are aging change their perception of seminal events as they go through life.

Third: you will be able to glean the wisdom learned from those who have lived and experienced many years.

Fourth: you will better travel your own journey through life and be more in touch with "use of self" through reflection.

Fifth: through this exercise you will better understand how culture, ethnicity, poverty, oppression, gender, and sexual orientation, impact one's aging.

Select someone who you consider to be aged, someone of advanced years, over the age of 75. Ask their permission to interview them. The interview can include some of the questions below. Utilize this as an outline only - you should not ask all questions as this may be too much. The interview may be done in any setting; your home, a senior center, a church, or any other setting.

In addition to the interview, please respond to the following questions:

1. In interviewing the older adult, address what stereotypes or myths did you initially have associated with aging?

2. Following the interview, explain how these myths or stereotypes were validated or negated.

3. Were there any surprises secondary to the interview?

4. Is this an area of practice that is of interest? Why or why not? Please explain your response.

5. Explain what you learned about the older adult as a result of this assignment?

This paper should be turned in with the service learning paper although this is a separate assignment. The paper should be 1-2 pages in length not including the actual interview. No citations or reference page is needed unless you quote the person interviewed or use course material.

Please submit the paper along with the interview.

Work

1. What were your feelings and thoughts on work when you were 21 years of age?

2. What are your feelings and thoughts on work now at ____ (your present age)?

3. What have you learned about work thus far during your life?

Clothes and Style

4. What were your feelings and thoughts on Clothes/Style when you were 21 years of age?

5. What are your feelings and thoughts on clothes/style now?

6. What have you learned about clothes/style thus far during your life?

Being Cool

7. What were your feelings and thoughts on being cool when you were 21 years of age?

8. What are your feelings and thoughts on being cool now?

9. What have you learned about being cool thus far during your life?

Patriotism

10. What were your feelings and thoughts on patriotism when you were 21 years of age?

11. What are your feelings and thoughts on patriotism now?

12. What have you learned about patriotism thus far during your life?

Travel

13. What were your feelings and thoughts on travel when you were 21 years of age?

14. What are your feelings and thoughts on travel now?

15. What have you learned about travel thus far during your life?

Race/Segregation

16. What were your feelings and thoughts on Race/segregation when you were 21 years of age?

17. What are your feelings and thoughts on Race/segregation now?

18. What have you learned about Race/segregation thus far during your life?

Rich/Poor

19. What were your feelings and thoughts on being poor/rich when you were 21 years of age?

20. What are your feelings and thoughts on being poor/rich now?

21. What have you learned about being poor/rich thus far during your life?

Friendship

22. What were your feelings and thoughts on friendship when you were 21 years of age?

23. What are your feelings and thoughts on friendship now?

24. What have you learned about friendship thus far during your life?

Children

25. What were your feelings and thoughts on children when you were 21 years of age?

26. What are your feelings on children now?

27. What have you learned about children thus far during your life?

Parents

28. What were your feelings and thoughts on parents when you were 21 years of age?

29. What are your feelings and thoughts on parents now?

30. What have you learned about parents thus far during your life?

Family

31. What were your feelings and thoughts on family when you were 21 years of age?

32. What are your feelings and thoughts on family now?

33. What have you learned about family thus far during your life?

Love

34. What were your feelings and thoughts on love when you were 21 years of age?

35. What are your feelings and thoughts on love now?

36. What have you learned about love thus far during your life?

Sex

37. What were your feelings and thoughts on sex when you were 21 years of age?

38. What are your feelings on sex now?

39. What have you learned about sex thus far during your life?

Technology

40. What were your feelings and thoughts on technology when you were 21 years of age?

41. What are your feelings and thoughts on technology now?

42. What have you learned about technology thus far during your life?

Leisure, Free Time, and Hobbies

43. What were you feelings and thoughts on leisure, free time, and hobbies when you were 21 years of age?

44. What are you feelings and thoughts about leisure, free time, and hobbies now?

45. What have you learned about leisure, free time, and hobbies now?

Stress, Anxiety

46. How did you deal with stress or anxiety when you were 21 years of age?

47. How do you handle stress or anxiety now?

48. What have you learned about stress or anxiety thus far in your life?

Problems

49. How did you deal with problems when you were 21 years of age?

50. How do you handle problems now?

51. What have you learned about dealing with problems thus far in your life?