Psychosocial Process and Interaction Skills for Elderly Clients

Psychosocial Process and Interaction Skills Needed When Working with the Elderly Client
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Psychosocial Process and Interaction Skills Needed When Working with the Elderly Client
Introduction
The subject of aging is surrounded by a range of theoretical ideas, with many of them running unparalleled to each other. The theorists have found it hard to create an objective standpoint to view the process of aging (Johnson et al., 2019). Therefore, a controversial debate surrounds the quest for manners and skills applied to dealing with elderly clients in the healthcare setting. However, a few common misconceptions and myths remain at play during the interaction between caretakers/service providers and elderly clients. This paper aims to dive into the theoretical background of aging and glean insights to form recommendations about the skills and techniques required to interact with the elderly fraternity effectively.
The paper extends into three significant parts. The initial section lays out the psychosocial process of aging in the light of vital theoretical contributions, followed by the identification of key challenges facing this population. Finally, there is a set of practical recommendations for the frontline practitioners and providers in healthcare aiming to enable them to interact with the elderly clients smoothly.
Psychosocial Process of Aging
As a part of building an understanding of the ideal manner to deal with elderly clients, it is fundamental to familiarize oneself with the process of aging from psychological and sociological perspectives. This understanding will impart an insider's view of how it feels to be elderly and what specific needs of elderly clients are to be highly prioritized. An essential contribution in this regard is made by Erik Erikson, who developed an 8-staged model of aging. The stage that is of utmost importance for the study at hand is the final one, where integrity and ego take center stage (Maree, 2021). Erikson surmises that older adults are in the habit of reviewing their past and drawing conclusions regarding the degree of success and failure. People who stick to integrity, which is a sense of wholeness, feel less time-starved, happier, and willing to accept their impending demise with peace (Maree, 2021). On the other hand, people who think they had chosen the wrong path and wasted the chance of living an otherwise happier life sink into despair. They feel unaccomplished, and the sense of having too little time to improve their life adds to their misery (Maree, 2021). Ultimately, they end with a burden of regrets.
Erikson's aging process is rather descriptive since it splits the experience into two prospects. Rather than other theories that generalized the underpinning ideas, Erikson emphasizes the need for looking at the elderly in line with their expertise and approach within the final phase of their life (rough above 65 years). Therefore, before applying any strategic framework for effective interaction, it is important to categorize the elderly either as possessing enough integrity or as lost in despair.
Erikson's view of aging has much in common with Maslow's hierarchy of motivational needs. Even though not explicitly dealing with aging, Maslow's model offers an insightful connection to the process of aging due to its universalistic nature. Older adults have already passed through most of the basic needs and seek or strive to maintain the highest levels, including self-esteem and self-actualization. Self-esteem involves a sense of being respected which is deterred mainly by the stigma of being valueless attached to aging (Maslow, 1981; McLeod, 2007). Self-actualization is the consciousness of personal potential and the ability to unlock that potential (Maslow, 1981). Therefore, while interacting with older adults, it is essential to be respectful to help them sustain their self-esteem.
Two important theories that help understand the process of aging from a sociological point of view include disengagement theory and activity. According to the advocates of disengagement theory, older adults withdraw from society, which is in society's mutual interest (Levitin, 2020). It is to say that their withdrawal creates space for their younger counterparts to step in. This theory suggests that older people live a resigned life with no sense of purpose.
Even though the theory has a solid intuitive foundation, it is contradictory to the findings of various research works, which show that resignation at the end stage of life is not a source of mutual interest. Instead, the activity translates into productivity that is valuable both for the elderly and society (Levitin, 2020). This phenomenon is encapsulated in 'activity theory' that emerged to counter the tenets of disengagement theory. According to activity theory, the elder should tend to stay active and seek sources of pleasure to avoid the trap of isolation. It implies that the energy of older adults depends on the degree to which they can maintain their level of activity (Tornstam, 2005). Activity theory is a research-backed idea that shows that the people who remained active were found to be happier and more satisfied than the ones who withdrew.
Special Challenges Faced by the Elderly
The elderly population faces numerous challenges in their everyday life. One of the key challenges is the social stigma attached to old age. A number of stigmas surround older adults. Some of the most common stigmas include older people being a burden on the economy, not deserving of attention, and being valueless (Chasteen & Cary, 2015). These stigmas are primarily behind the social isolation of older adults. In some instances, the social stigma turns into self-stigma in cases where the elderly internalize the popular beliefs and apply them to themselves (Chasteen & Cary, 2015). These stigmas are vital to deter older people's access to facilities and activities to which their younger counterparts have full exposure. For example, these stigmas lead to age discrimination or ageism pertinent to employment (Chasteen & Cary, 2015). Similarly, older adults are not taken seriously, which ultimately affects their self-esteem and makes their skillset and wisdom meaningless. The stigmas attached to their personality also hinder their sense of relatedness to social groups. They are treated as outcasts and thrown into constant isolation.
Besides, the barriers discussed above are also attributable to a few common myths. For example, research shows that 57% of youth believe they have lost their memory, while the older adult population with memory loss is recorded at 25%. Besides, 45% young population believes that older adults are unable to drive, while the inability to drive accounts for only 14% of total older adults (The Good Care Group, 2022). Besides, one of the key common myths discussed above is the disengagement theory, which does not correspond to the findings of the majority of research works carried out in this direction. These misconceptions are also mainly behind the unrealized potential of older adults, which otherwise could have been beneficial for their psychological health and the whole social structure.
Aside from the issues discussed above, the elderly population is comparatively more prone to diseases. For example, the findings of a research carried out between 2015 and 2018 show that out of 49% of total adults in America suffering from one or more types of cardiovascular diseases, more than 70% were 65 years old, while the rate of illness was generally higher among higher age groups (American Heart Association, 2021). The research has also revealed that other commonly observed chronic diseases are also common among the elderly (American Heart Association, 2021). The reason behind this is the comparatively weaker immunity system of people in this particular age group.
Aside from physical diseases, the elderly population is also prone to mental illness. According to the statistics revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO), as many as 20% of the elderly population in America is suffering from one or more mental or neurological disorders, and 6% of mental disabilities a...