Older Adult

Interview
By: Shelby Wright

Section 1

This photo album contains sample pages to get you started.

To add your own pages, click the Home tab, then click the New
Slide gallery.

I am interviewing Christine Wright. She is my grandmother. She is a African

American woman. She is stands about 53 ft. tall and about 150 pounds. My
grandmother 63 years old. In opinion she can pass for younger. She is very
outspoken but oh so kind. She has such a motherly spirit.
Now, she is physically functioning well. Also, her cognitive functioning is great as
well. Christine is very active. She participates in Church congregational functions,
family events, and still cares for all of her children and grandchildren. She is a
woman of many jobs. Though she has and still is carrying the responsibilities so
well, she is currently suffering from an liver disease. She has not been diagnosed
with any mental illnesses, but she has not been able over the last several years
cope with her husbands passing. It has now been 8 years. She has support from
her children and grandchildren, but she still has difficult days.
At the moment, she is taking each day at a time. She is making a commitment to
become more active, maintain her health and grow more spiritually everyday.

Section 2
Interview with Older Adult cont.

Christine was born June 18th 1952. She was born in the South. New
Orleans, Louisiana. She was one of 12 children. Today she lives in
Detroit, MI. She later moved up north, when she was only 18 years old.
She moved with her husband who found work in the Auto industry as
the Ford Motor Company plant. She wanted more of a traditional family.
While her husband worked, she stayed home with the children. She had
a total of 3 children. One girl and 2 boys. She cook and cleaned daily.
She was never took on an independent role. She never even learned to
drive a car. She dependent on her husband for everything.
She loved her family and loved being the woman of the house.
She implanted in her children the family traditions and values that she
was brought up. They went to church several times a week for bible
study, Sunday school and early Sunday morning sermons. As for her
Religion/ spirituality life having a connection to a higher power is not
just significate to her in her older adult life like most but her entire life.
One of the methods to kept her family so close was that they
always celebrated to together. Holidays is her favorite. Coming from
the south, cooking is her specialty. On holidays, especially Thanksgiving
and Christmas; she spent hours in the kitchen making everyone's
favorite meal. She always made it a tradition to make black-eyed peas
for New Years Eve. She says it brings good luck in the coming year.

Summary of Conversation

Not only does she value family, but also friends. Her cohort Martha is dear
to her. She receives so much support from her through all her great life
events and tragic. She talked about how important loyalty is from family
and friends. She says that on her worst days that it is those who are loyal
and supportive to her that keeps moving each day.
Cohort- a group of individuals or couples who share common events, such
as birth or marriage during a particular time or usually a year.
During the time of her husbands death she became socially isolated. She
talked about her isolation for sometime from her family was the worst thing
she could have done because it caused her to become dependent on
alcohol. Its was a that time she says I should have become spiritually lifted
but I didnt know how. Social support is so important. Dealing with death,
aging and lose of some responsibility of others because your children are
older can be quiet tough.
My grandmother was never been employed. She has not made social
connections with others, other than our small community and family. She
has made great progress mentally and physically with the past year. So that
she can stay on the right path, she has developed some great hobbies. She
loves using her sewing machine, cooking, reading and constantly
volunteering in her home church.

Summary of Conversation Cont.

Section 3

After interviewing my grandmother, I have made some tentative

conclusions. She is a person of great strengths. She experienced a tragic
event of the death of her husband. Then she did not how to cope but
with the support of family she will continue to live a quality life. Like any
other individual she needs encouragement and guidance from family to
physicians to help maintain her health. She is thankful for everything
that she has and the things that has happen because everything has
taught her great lessons and has given her endurance.

Analysis of Older Adult

Section 4

After participating in the interview. I would consider

myself a great listener. I feel that I have the ability to
make those feel at ease and the ability to make those
express their most vulnerable moments in the most
calm way. I enjoyed speaking with my grandmother. I
have never asked the questions I have before this
interview. I learned more about her upbringing than I
expected. I learned how important is to keep healthy
family and friends relationships because it really does
uplift your spirit. Healthy support systems are the
most important at helpless times.

Analysis of you

Reference
Phillips, J., Ajrouch, K., & Hillcoat-Nalletamby, S. (2010). Key
Concepts in Social Gerontology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications Inc