Exploring Changes Of Aging In The Interview With Older Person

For my interview assignment, I chose to interview my eighty-seven-year-old neighbor, Diane. She suffers from Type 2 diabetes, she was diagnosed at the age of seven. Diane has been my neighbor for all my life. She resides in Laurel, Mississippi and has been here all of her life. Diane was employed at Jones County Health department for over twenty-three years. Diane was happily married to her late husband, Jonathan. They remained married for forty-two years before his death and have three beautiful children together: John, Kathy and Diana. Johnathan was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer, which was the cause of his death.

Physical changes of aging

During this interview, Diane mentioned to me that she had many physical changes to her body, but these changes did not start until she was older. With one being problems with her eyes. If you know anything about diabetes, then you would know that eye sight can be one of the tough obstacles to deal with when being diagnosed with diabetes. Diane was suffering from cataracts in her eyes. Cataracts are the clouding of the lens of the eye. Unfortunately, her eye vision was not the only life changing problem for her. She was later diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, a weakness, numbness, and pain from nerve damage, usually in the hands and feet. When she began to notice these symptoms, she thought it was just natural changes in her body but once the pain grew bigger she knew it was more than natural bodily changes. Diane had difficulty doing things she would normally do. For example, working in her garden became difficult for her, she started to have severe pain every time she tried to work in her garden, eventually the pain grew unbearable and she could not proceed to work in her garden.

Timing

During this interview, the timing of her diagnoses and death of her husband was brought to my attention. Outside of the interview questions. She informed me that her husbands death was expected, he was suffering from Pancreatic Cancer. Once diagnosed the doctors were very clear about the disturbing details on his life expectancy. After learning this, it was very hard for both her and her husband. Johnathan became very depressed and down sick with his condition leaving her to handle the needs of her, her children and her husband. She stated that there were times where she became very discouraged and that her husbands diagnoses occurred at the wrong time.

Retirement

During this interview, Diane informed me that retirement was the hardest toll on her. She stated that she loved her job, but once her husband was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, she was forced to retire and stay home and cater to the needs of her husband. It was hard because of the lack of money. They struggled to pay there bills and care for the children. She told me that the good thing about this time was that her oldest son, John was old enough to work. He got a job to help out with bills and other needs. She was receiving benefits from the government that also provided help for the family. She says looking back she wouldn’t have retired because she felt like she was stopping her life.

The Family in Later life

Old age doesn't need to exhaust, horrendous or be negative as how social and media pictures have made us to accept. This stage also accompanies its very own difficulties and limitations; anyway the focal points, potential outcomes and openings one can involvement in this stage are regularly more noteworthy than some other stage throughout everyday life. Retirement, rearranging and relooking at your marriage, audit of your life, finding your own importance to life, identifying with kids and grandkids are for the most part regions that are improving yet testing in this stage.