Older Adult Essay

1216 Words3 Pages

Older adults are portrayed in movies, television shows, and novels all the time. This widespread depiction of older adults in the media consequently affects the society’s perception of aging. Thus, as a nurse, it is essential to recognize which traits and characteristics rendered on screen are mirrored in real life, and which are mere myths. The purpose of this paper is to explore the life of a movie character, analyze the different factors influencing his aging, and review his lifestyle in terms of theoretical perspectives. Moreover, this paper also aims to express how the movie impacts my nursing practice and how it will change and improve my care for older adults. Like every other summer in their married life, Norman Thayer Jr. and his …show more content…

Norman’s character exposed the prevalence of exasperated and obstinate personalities in older adults, which could be manifestations of their frustrations with age-related changes and other significant health problems. As a nurse, this insight motivates me to be more tolerant and compassionate when a patient is difficult and has frequent angry outbursts. Moreover, the movie dissipates specific myths of aging as identified by Miller (2015) such as that “people consider themselves old on their 65th birthday” (p. 10), “older adulthood is something to be dreaded because it represents disability and death” (p. 10), “by the age of 70 years, an individual’s psychosocial growth is complete” (p. 10), and “in today’s society, families no longer care for older people” (p. 10). Ethel, who was in her mid-60’s still considered herself to be middle-aged and appeared to be always cheerful and hopeful about her future with her husband. Moreover, even at 80, Norman was still developing and going through psychosocial growth as he bonded with Billy and reconnected with his daughter. Lastly, the movie portrayed how an older couple, while functioning independently, still supports each other with the help of other family members. Through this movie, I recognized that different people adapt and age in diverse ways. Hence, it is my responsibility as a nurse to understand and be sensitive about the older adult’s own feelings and perceptions of

More about Older Adult Essay

Open Document