The Old Adult
Integrity vs. Despair
HBSE II- Lecture 11
George M. Taylor
Definitions
„
„
Integrity- Honesty,
character.
(Systonic)
I have values,
ethics and I am
consistent, I stand
for something.
„
Wisdom- Being
wise. Often caused
by longevity and
life experience
(Dystonic)
So the adaptation challenge in this stage of
life is to experience the losses (social,
physical and psychological) and maintain
integrity.
Involvement
„
Life in front of us is far shorter than
ever before and we are for the first
time in the life cycle, for which we
don’t desire to plan or anticipate
the next phase. Uncharted territory,
plus we have no role models in the
next phase.
Life review
Psychological and biological- looking back over each
developmental phase of their life and coming to grips
with their choices, decisions, realities in a way that
allows them to maintain integrity.
1. Ego defenses- as if nothing needs to be
changed. Everything is perfect.
2. I did the best that I could do and I have no
regrets.
3. I have regrets but I did the best that I
could do.
*Life review often takes us back to a time when we
were in much more control of our bodies and minds,
than we are today.
„
„
Emulating our role models
• Usually our grandparents
„
Developing routines that have
meaning
Vital Involvement
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Transmitting family history and
tradition/culture
Care giving- grandchildren
Becoming centerpieces of family
gatherings/ reunions
Commitment of time and effort to ones
church or religious affiliation.
New experiences
Bottom line is we need something
meaningful to contribute,
We want to leave behind a legacy.
Being reservoirs of Wisdom
to those who seek it
„
„
Advice giving via
experience.
(Women to young
women and men
to young men)
Sharing one’s
beliefs, values, as
a result of life
experience
„
Sharing that we
are all part of the
human species and
that the ultimate
life task is to love
and attempt to
better mankind.
„
Transitioning is
redefining oneself
from less doing as
the model and my
usefulness to
being… yet I am
useful. I have
reason and
purpose in my life
Senior citizen centers
Congregate Meals
„ Tenant councils
„ Recreational and Leisure time
activities
„ Health screening/ Health
promotional activities
„ Volunteer activities
„
Articles- Defenses
A.
B.
C.
Regression is a self regulated
integrative ego function aimed at
increasing control
Elderly tend to utilize defenses found
among younger adults with functions
of particular defenses changing over
their life span.
From ego to egoÆ Interactive
influence on self of multiple.
Articles- Defenses cont’d.
Isolation
D.
i.
ii.
iii.
E.
F.
Physical
Social
Emotional
Depression- Can be masked as denial,
somatizations or hypochondria. Reaction to
multiple losses. Feeling old and meaningless
Denial- especially of age to death. But denial
can be very functional. The elderly are saying
“I’m not that old and I’ve got stuff to do. I’ve
got to live.”