Human Development in the Elderly Phase

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Table of Contents

Psychological Needs of the Elderly
Strategies for Meeting the Needs of the Elderly
Reference List
Questionnaire

Patient X is a 66-year-old male adult who resides in Dublin. He divorced his wife five years ago and is currently living alone. Mr. X is also a father of two children – a boy and a girl. Both of his children are married and currently reside away from home. Mr. X is a farmer dealing in rearing beef cattle. He is also a former military personnel who fought in many battles during his younger years. Mr. X suffers from hypertension and diabetes mellitus and receives treatment from a local hospital.

The data collection method that would be used to gather the relevant information is interviewing patient X utilizing a prepared questionnaire. It is essential that the survey is analyzed using clear and straightforward language since it will ensure that the patient has a clear comprehension of the questions for accurate responses.

Psychological Needs of the Elderly

Individuals at the old age stage of life have several needs concerning their deteriorating health and mental concerns. According to the developmental stages by Erik Erikson, the elderly phase in life is linked with crises over integrity vs. despair (Antypas and Kirkevold, 2020). A sense of fulfillment and accomplishment is felt by those people who believe that they had a significant positive impact on the world. On the other hand, people who feel that they did not realize their potential tend to have despair. Erickson argued that the less desirable goals during the developmental stages manifest themselves in people who do not feel a sense of accomplishment (Antypas and Kirkevold, 2020).

For instance, geriatrics may have a mistrust of their judgment (trust vs. mistrust) or have self-doubt about their abilities compared to others (industry vs. inferiority) (Antypas and Kirkevold, 2020). Therefore, the needs among older adults emerge from the unaccomplished goals during development phases and may include a requirement for intimacy and support in meeting their physiological needs.

Furthermore, aging adults require a sense of love and belonging. Most individuals have experienced losing their close people at this stage of life through deaths and separation or divorce. Therefore, the elderly are in need of a sense of love and belonging from their friends and family members. Moreover, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, senior adults want to feel respected by their peers, have self-confidence, and be accepted by others. Old age is when the elderly tend to feel accomplished to achieve their self-esteem needs (Gudynas, 2019). Finally, the fulfillment of the geriatrics’ self-actualization needs relates to having a satisfactory feeling. Old age is the pinnacle of life, the elderly look back on their lives and assess whether they have accomplished their goals to achieve personal fulfillment.

Strategies for Meeting the Needs of the Elderly

Family Support

Various stakeholders in society have essential roles in ensuring that older adults attain their needs. First, family members should help the aged meet their physiological needs including food, shelter, and clothing. The elderly may have special nutritional requirements due to their deteriorating health; therefore, family members must ensure that the aged receive nutritious meals. The community and the church have a role in providing older adults with avenues to meet and interact (Antypas and Kirkevold, 2020). These interactions will develop a sense of belonging among the aged individuals. Engagement in meaningful interactions enables the elderly to remain active to sustain healthy mental and physical well-being.

Government Support

Government and public health nurses can provide additional social support to older adults. The government needs to implement affordable insurance packages for the aged. These guarantees would help the elderly meet their physiological needs for sufficient functioning. The government of Ireland also provides the aged with employment opportunities that fit their lifestyle and teaches them new skills. Through working or volunteering, the seniors can also meet their financial needs.

The government provides social security funds to the elderly to alleviate the risks of insufficient finances. On the other hand, nurses must help the aged during daily activities such as eating, bathing, repositioning from the bed, visiting the restroom, and getting adequate rest (Noltemeyer et al., 2020). Nurses also have a role in promoting the seniors’ safety by providing assistive devices for walking, raising side rails of the bed to prevent falls, and offering psychological support to the elderly.

Competencies for Working with the Elderly

Working with the aged is challenging, and it requires a particular skill set to function effectively. Communication techniques required in working with the aged include giving instructions slowly and repeating them frequently because older adults might have memory disruptions. Caregivers should make sure that they articulate their words well to be understood clearly. They should also learn body language techniques to convey messages. Communication with the aged involves actively listening to understand their desires. Comprehending the needs of the elderly is the first step towards effective management.

Empathy skills are necessary to enable the caregiver to understand the problems of older adults better (Antypas and Kirkevold, 2020). Other essential abilities are a keen sense of observation to capture the medical needs of the patient and mindfulness to analyze the interventions.

Maslow’s Hierarchy

Unmet developmental needs have profound mental and physical consequences to the client. According to Maslow, unrealized desires at any stage of development may result in anxiety and personality disorders that may manifest later in life. When basic physiological needs are not met, an individual may become sick or even face lethal consequences. Such patterns also impact their health promotion and health-seeking behaviors.

Individuals whose safety needs are not met may have post-traumatic stress disorder in cases of engagement in traumatizing activities such as warfare (Gudynas, 2019). Difficulties in securing companions or a sense of belonging may lead to depression resulting in withdrawal from society. Vast differences between how a person perceives himself or herself and how others view them may result in anxiety. The resolution of the unmet needs will allow for a better rehabilitation process.

Psychological Models as a Method for Meeting Needs of the Elderly

Old age is characterized by several mental problems which may require interventions through psychological models. Some of the emotional needs during old age include the desire to be loved, relief of unpleasant insomnia, and an urge to be respected. A community health worker is to adopt sympathetic, caring, and supportive beliefs and attitudes to identify the needs of the elderly. Compelling listening skills and communication values are also relevant in addressing the needs of older adults.

These problems require prompt interventions from psychologists and other healthcare personnel due to the detrimental health implications that may accompany them, including the risk of suicide. One of the successful solutions for these disorders among the elderly is the implementation of the cognitive model. This framework emphasizes addressing the deficiencies in memory, perception, attention, and decision-making in solving psychological problems (Biering, 2019).

However, other psychological models such as the biological framework focus on the treatment of mental issues with drugs which may result in the reoccurrence of the problem once the patient completes the pharmacotherapy. Hence, the biological model may be an unsuccessful framework for solving old age issues. The appropriate time to address the needs of the elderly is when the problem manifests, then there is a high chance to cope with it. I would seek an appointment with the appropriate person to present the patient’s needs.

Reference List

Antypas, K. and Kirkevold, M. (2020) ‘Structure evaluation of the implementation of geriatric models in primary care: a multiple-case study of models involving advanced geriatric nurses in five municipalities in Norway’, BMC Health Services Research, 20(749), pp. 1-16. Web.

Biering, P. (2019) ‘Helpful approaches to older people experiencing mental health problems: a critical review of models of mental health care’. European Journal of Ageing, 16(2), pp. 215-225. Web.

Gudynas, E. (2019) ‘Value, growth, development: South American lessons for a new ecopolitics’, Capitalism Nature Socialism, 30(2), pp. 234-243. Web.

Noltemeyer, A., James, A.G., Bush, K., Bergen, D., Barrios, V. and Patton, J. (2012) ‘The relationship between deficiency needs and growth needs: The continuing investigation of Maslow’s theory’, Child & Youth Services, 34(9), pp. 1-19. Web.

Questionnaire

What is your age? (in years) …………………………………….
Do you have a spouse?
- Yes
- No
How many children do you have?
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4 or more
Where do you stay?
- Home
- Nursing home
- Other
Do you have any pre-existing health conditions?
- Yes
- No
- If yes, state the disease……………….
Do you feel like you have accomplished all your life goals?
- Yes
- No
Which one of the following is the most essential need according to you?
- Physiological needs, e.g., hunger, thirst, sleep;
- Realization of your desires;
- Need for love, affection, family, friends, and sense of belonging;
- Respect and approval from other persons.

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