James G. Yott \ Clinical Gerontologist
INTEGRITY VS DESPAIR----Erikson (1982) Defined old age as a time when one is seeking balance between the search for ego integrity and feelings of despair. Young to Old---65 to 75 or 80 Old-Old---75 or so to about 90 very-Old-- around 90 and older. Extreme old age is a very special time. In his nineties, Erikson wrote from personal experience about his final stage of the life cycle model that he presented with the help of hie wife, Joan, 40 years earlier. He expand on his late life stage "Integrity versus Despair," by describing wisdom that comes with age if one completes the developmental tasks that began earlier in the life cycle. For example, the basic trust learned in infancy evolves into the knowledge in old age of how interdependent we are --of how much we need each other. In early childhood, the life cycle's second phase, learning physical autonomy and control over one's bodily functions.verus shame and doubt in not learning them, paves the way for coping with deterioration of the body in old age. Old age is basically the second phase in reverse. One must "grow" in order to avoid shame and doubt that can accompany decline, just as one "learned" body development without having shame and doubt. Every stage offers lessons that can be apply in old age. "The whole is as only as good as the sum of its parts" Gestalt theory -- Havigghurst (1972) developed six tasks of later life as: 1) Adjusting to decreasing physical strength. 2) Adjusting to retirement and reduced income. 3) Adjusting to the deathof a spouse. 4) Establishing an explicit association with one's own age group. 5) Adopting and adapting societal roles in a flexible way. 6) Establishing satisfactory physical arrangements. The function of these tasks is to promote well-being in later life--optimal aging. Self Concept-is the way in which a person see him or herself as being. Social construction-address the idea that the way we interpet events in our lives and partially a refection of how are treated, and partially the extent to which we have internalized the way society has defined or categoried us. As a clinical Gerontologist my current focus in gerontology is to move away from attempting to measure "hard scientific data and listen to the voices of aging people themselves" This method is refered to as "Phenomonology"
My Favorite Web Sites
Shaman Publishing
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Dream Therapy
Groups For Seniors
Golden Years Seniors Suport and Care
Thanatology
Ontario Gerontology Association
