In an exclusive interview with an aging adult, to learn about the process of aging and what it means as an aging adult, I interviewed a man who is sixty-seventh years old. To protect this man's privacy, I would give this person a fictitious name of Geron67. The interview lasted roughly two hours and it was a face-to-face interview.
Life Story
Geron67 is 67 years old. He is a Caucasian man. He was born and raised in the United States. He informed me that he was a strong man who has never had any health problems until six years ago when he had to take prescription medication. Geron67 is the youngest of two sisters and one brother. They all grew up in a small town in New Mexico. Geron67's father died of a heart attack when he was in his 50s, his mother died from cancer. He was an auto mechanic when he was young and quit his job when he was 55 years old. He explained that he started to have back pain that prevented him from doing the job. Geron67 was married. He has no children. His wife died in an auto accident. When I asked him what was the most meaningful event that he can think of, he said he remembered he had a great family before the death of his wife. He felt a little sad while talking about his wife. He mentioned that he was depressed since his wife's death 20 years ago. I asked him what he wanted people to remember about him and he said that he wanted people to remember him when he was young who had great finances and a happy family, but not as an old man trying to survive on a daily basis.
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Changes of Aging
When asked if he has any change or concern regarding aging, he mentioned that finances are his primary concern. He said that he had a great job and was not worried about finances. Now he barely pays the rent for his apartment. Geron67 explained that he currently works at minimum wage in order to pay for his monthly rent, smokes, and drinks alcohol. He said he did not smoke or drink when he was young. He began smoking and drinking after his wife's death. He felt depressed and uncontrolled about alcohol consumption. He feels lonely because he does not have any friends, family, or relatives around. He expressed that he is also facing trouble in taking proper care of himself. His nutritional diet is fast food that is high in fat and low nutritional value because they are easy to get and cheap rather than cooking. He is overweight, has hypertension, and suffers from stress. In addition, he noticed his oral health changes significantly as his teeth keep losing. He said his health insurance does not cover dental health. Finally, he started to feel worried due to his recent high blood sugar level. He wants to live in his apartment instead of a nursing home because he wants to be independent and autonomous as an older adult. He expressed that the nursing home will make him feel lonely, which will contribute to the rapid decline in health. When I asked Geron67 what is his view on aging, he replied: “I believe in God. God can give me this body. God can take it away. I am not scared to die. I don’t see aging as a positive or a negative, but just a normal, natural process”. He said the undesired effect of aging comes with aches, pain, and illnesses. As we continued with the conversation, I noticed that he does have concerns about aging, it became obvious when he mentioned his financial issues as well as he admitted his poor performance in everyday activities compared to what he was 10 years ago. He said he developed back pain when he was about 55 years old. Now, he is worried because he has hypertension and high blood sugar. He expressed that old age is nothing fun but pain, ache, and illnesses. I asked him how he would be able to maintain healthy aging and wellness. His response was that he is 'not a good example' and he admitted that he is very disappointed in what he has done with his health, including smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight, and not eating right. When I asked if he would consider exercise to promote a healthy aging lifestyle, he said that he understands exercising to promote a healthy aging lifestyle, but he has no motivation for exercise. There were a few times in the past that he wanted to give up drinking alcohol. He had actively participated in a rehab program. He said he lost weight and felt great while in the program. I believe that if Geron67 had guidance and encouragement to get involved in a social network centered around physical and mental activity, he would find himself in a much easier position to make some healthy lifestyle changes.
Coping with Chronic Disorders
Geron67 is having a problem with nutritional status. He struggled with finances, which resulted in eating cheap, unhealthy food, skipping meals, drinking alcohol, obese without exercising. His poor nutritional health and lifestyle result in nutritional changes, in addition to hypertension and high blood sugar level. He did not reveal his values for hypertension and blood sugar. He said the doctor told him to take prescription drugs for hypertension. He just takes these medications as said. He said he was diagnosed with hypertension when he was around 45 years old. He was recently diagnosed with high blood sugar. He started to worry about his health status, but he does not do anything to cope with the chronic disorders besides taking the prescription medications as directed. He said he does not want to change his lifestyle habits, such as lower salt intake, exercise, restriction on diet, no alcohol intake, and positive lifestyle changes. He believes that his life could be drastically different if he motivates to make the change, but he said had chosen to live his life a certain way.
Conclusion
It was great to have an interview with Geron67. I learned a lot about the lifestyle of certain older adults throughout the interview process. Geron67 has some health concerns, but he remains active and alert as evidenced by his acknowledging the importance of exercise, a proper diet, and hypertension control through medication. He is obviously at risk for poor nutrition, depression, and loneliness. The interview was at times difficult when he was expressing disappointment with himself and how he has treated his body. I also observed him and was concerned as he discussed his loneliness, depression, illnesses, pain, and financial struggles that he is facing at his current age. Throughout the interview process, I found it was imperative that I maintained an understanding, empathetic and realistic outlook on what he was trying to tell me in order to provide a level of comfort and reassurance. At the close of the interview, he expressed that he can see that he is currently living an unhealthy lifestyle. He should commit to changing and promoting a positive, healthy lifestyle to cope with his chronic disorders. Being an aging adult, many of the concerns and depression are stemmed from poor nutritional health, a fear of loss of autonomy, loneliness, and financial hardship. Despite his decisions to take part in changing his unhealthy lifestyle habits or not, he will need strong support and advice from healthcare professionals. As a nurse, our main goal is to educate and give the best support to the elderly like Geron67 in fulfilling their aging process.
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