Credit Request: HN365: Psychology of Aging

Course Outcomes By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1: Explain the stages of development in later life based on available theory and research 2: Analyze perceptions and misconceptions of the elderly 3: Develop ethical interventions appropriate to the elderly abuse, theft GEL-3.2: Analyze how heredity influences characteristics of populations GEL-1.1: Demonstrate collegelevel communication through the composition of original materials in Standard American English Source of Learning Viva! Choices, October 2004 to Present Sutter Estates Retirement Community, December 1998 to August 2001 Yuba-Sutter Legal Center for Seniors, August 1999 to August 2001 Professionals Caring for Seniors, March 2000 to 2008 6 Read and studied Ericksons Stages of Development (psychosocial theory) which considers what impact external factors, parents and society have on development from childhood through adulthood Learned that stages 7 and 8 referred to later life, stage 7 being Generativity (contributing to younger and/or older generations quality of life) versus Stagnation, and stage 8 being Ego Integrity versus Despair Discovered that Erickson and his wife theorized a ninth stage of life called Geotranscendance characterized by resolution of the prior stages and a deepening appreciation of the past Recognized residents and clients who were in this proposed stage (stage 9) by their attitudes and Learning Statements Observed that residents and clients generally fell into two main categories in terms of their outlook on life, 1. Negative and complacent, 2. Positive, open and active with others Analyzed various theories of development to further understand the processes that human beings go through as they age Documentation Letter of Verification from Bobbi Carroll

actions which included an expansion of self that embraced others and a sense of communion with all things including death Compared Robert Atchleys life stages or life transitions based on a combination of physical and social attributes, Middle Age, Later Adulthood and Old Age with Ericksons Stages of Development Discovered Gail Sheehys New Map of Adult Life while searching for a development theory that would better fit with my perception and beliefs about aging Incorporated Gail Sheehys empowering findings in her book entitled New Passages into my work and life, sharing the message that turning age 45 should be considered the infancy of another life, and middle age the Age of Mastery extended past the age of 70 Recognized that the seniors in my care were being treated as if they uncooperative, inflexible, unpleasant, and dull by family members and professionals Interpreted this behavior to mean that society in general viewed aging as some kind of disease Concluded that societys overall behavior towards and belief about aging and older adults was

unacceptable and needed to be changed Initiated discussions about societys treatment of older adults that resulted in the development of two corporations designed to improve the image and quality of life of the aging population Developed a system that will help aging people to better navigate the transitions of aging Studied the Baby Boomer, how they have influenced the development of products and services since birth and their influence for the first time in history over up to 4 generations of family Developed a system for Healthy Aging that when used by the Baby Boomer for their parents and themselves, helps to remove much of the stigma of aging and helps people to avoid living life in crisis mode Proposed a new, more user friendly, less threatening professional (a generalist) to work in the system who would bridge the gap between the reluctant family and aging adult and the geriatric care manager, financial planner and other resources etc. Traced the passage of disease and economics from one generation to another that play a

large role in the development of certain character traits Discovered that culture is really the totality of characteristics being passed down from one generation to another