Shannon Olsen

Professor Griffin 

Adult Health IV

2 May 2024 

Life Review Paper 

Introduction

For the course of Adult Health IV, a geriatric course, I was expected to compose a life review paper as one of our assignments. The life review project included a six hour interview with an older adult of our choosing who is over the age of sixty-five. This project was aimed to help students appreciate and better understand the older generation. For this life review project, I chose to interview my grandmother, A. D. A.D is a 79 year old woman who is a proud mother of four and a grandmother of many. A.D is a very traditional grandmother who I would consider to have a close relationship with and I thought would be a perfect candidate for this project. I learned so much about my grandmother that it shocked me after completing the interview process. Throughout the interview I was able to connect a lot of A.D’s answers to Erikson’s stages of development. Erik Erikson was a German psychologist that came up with a theory that all humans go through eight specific psychological struggles in life that evidently make up a person’s personality (WebMD, 2023). I believe that my grandmother has passed and conquered all eight stages of erikson’s developmental theory. 

Part I: Erikson’s Stages of Life

The first stage of Erikson’s theory of development is labeled trust vs. mistrust that happens during infancy. When an infant is born, they are completely dependent on their caretakers for all of their basic needs. If a caretaker does not tend to their infant’s needs when they are fussing/crying, need a diaper change, etc. the infant can develop mistrust. Without trust being established in the early months of life after birth, it can be hard for that human to develop trust later in life (WebMD, 2023). I believe my grandmother conquered this stage of Erikson’s theory because of the way she answered the questions describing her childhood and the first memories of her life. A.D lived with her parents early on in life and they later divorced when she was three years old. Her mother remarried soon after this and A.D was adopted by her mother’s new husband. A.D describes her first memory as being sweet and exciting as she moved from one house to another. For some this may seem like a complicated situation, but my grandmother does not see it this way. A.D continued to share how loving and happy her childhood was as she grew up with three brothers and two sisters. A.D described her father as, ‘the sweetest man that ever lived’. A.D explained to me that her home was loving, her parents were great parents, and all of her siblings were very close to one another. I believe she established trust within her original caretakers and her adopted father. 

The next stage in Erikson’s theory of development is autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This stage usually occurs around age three during toddlerism. This stage entails a child starting to learn to do things on their own. If caretakers praise them for their abilities they will feel accomplished and move on to the next stage of development more smoothly. If caretakers often shame and ridicule their children for their abilities, they will feel shame and doubt themselves and may have a hard time later in life developing self-belief (WebMD, 2023). My grandmother explained during our interview that her mother was very judgmental of other people and often criticized the things she would do or the people she would hang out with. Although she described her as an amazing mother, that happened to be one of her weaknesses that she could remember growing up. A.D’s father, however, was described as loving, sweet, and would often praise her even for the silliest things that may not have needed praise. A.D stated that as a child, if she wanted something or if she wanted approval that she would always go to her father. I believe A.D conquered this stage of life even through motherly criticisms, she felt confident in herself when surrounded by family and especially her father. 

The next stage in Erikson’s stages of development is initiative vs. guilt. This stage occurs during preschooler ages; around 4-5 years of age. This stage entails the child starting to independently develop goals and aims for themselves, and to also look for parental approval of their accomplishments. If the child is encouraged they will continue to work on goals independently and often do things for themselves. If the child feels discouraged, they will feel guilty about their goals and purpose in life (WebMD, 2023). My grandmother goes on to say in the interview that while in early childhood her parents encouraged her to engage heavily in the catholic church. When participating in confessions for church, A.D said that she had nothing to confess and so she lied and told the priest that she stole something from a store. Even though my grandmother did not commit this act, she made it up because she felt guilty not having anything to confess to the church. A.D described church as a huge part of her life growing up and said that joining the church choir at a young age was a proud moment for herself and her parents. Her father and her mother would often say the phrases ‘I love you’ and ‘I am so proud of you’ growing up, and A.D stated that those phrases meant a lot to her. Although she has five other siblings in her loving home, A.D stated that she felt like her parents loved them all equally, even though her brothers were troublemakers in the family. 

Erikson’s fourth stage of development is industry vs. inferiority. This stage starts around age six and ends around age 11. During this stage a child supposedly starts to find and long for individuality and seeks support from other peers, teachers, parents, and other authoritative figures. If a child is not positively reinforced on their accomplishments during this stage they can start to feel inferior, not confident in themselves, and incompetent. Positive reinforcement of accomplishments and ideas in this stage allow for feelings of confidence and competency. I believe my grandmother went through and conquered this stage of life (WebMD, 2023). A.D described authoritative figures as not scary, but respected. A.D states that she respected all adults whether it was earned or not, because she says that is what it was like back then for everyone. A.D explained during the interview that she did well in school academically, became a bluebird (today’s girl scouts), had many close friends in school, and continued school choir during this stage in her life. A.D explains this part of her life as very carefree, and an optimistic time with very little worries. A.D thought of herself as a great student, sister, daughter, and friend at this time in her life as well. 

Erikson’s next stage in life according to the developmental theory, is the fifth stage; identity vs. role confusion. This stage happens during adolescence, near age 12. This stage describes the time in a person’s life where they start to find their own identity, break from the norm, and establish goals for their adulthood. If a person is overwhelmed by expectations and responsibilities in this stage this can lead to confusion and an identity crisis (WebMD, 2023). My grandmother said that since she was a little girl, her biggest dream was to be a mom. My grandmother said she was never planning on going to college after highschool because she met her future husband sophomore year of highschool; who is now my grandfather. A.D explained her goals in highschool were to marry my grandfather and build a family and life together. During highschool, A.D said she was a cheerleader for the basketball team, started working at age 15 as a cashier, and did well in her academics. Although she had some responsibilities, she described highschool as fun and not as worrisome as it seems to be nowadays. 

The sixth stage of Erikson’s theory of development is intimacy vs. isolation. This stage describes young adulthood from age 19 to around age 40. A.D believes that her love life with my grandfather was for the most part very loving and strong (WebMD, 2023). To this day A.D describes her husband as her best friend and teammate. There was a short while during this stage in A.D’s life that caused some isolation issues. My grandfather used to abuse alcohol in his early adulthood, which caused resentment in the relationship, and would often leave my grandmother feeling lonely. A.D also was met with some hardships, as one of her best friends from childhood that she had a strong relationship with tragically committed suicide. During this stage in life A.D also became a mother of four children. The way A.D describes her children made me emotional, as she explained how proud and honored she was to have them in her life. A.D believes her children saved her life, and that her life really began after giving birth to her first baby. A.D felt as though her relationships with her children were unbroken and God’s greatest gift to her. Although marriage was not perfect for my grandparents, A.D explained how grateful she is that they worked things through together like the good team they are. 

The seventh stage of erikson’s theory of development is labeled generativity vs. stagnation. This stage happens from age 40 to 65. This stage is where one feels the need to teach younger generations what they have learned about life and have taken on the role of a mentor for someone else. If one is not fulfilling this mentoring position during this stage in their life they may feel bitter and unhappy (WebMD, 2023). Knowing this information about this stage I know my grandmother has conquered this psychological struggle in Erikson’s theory. A.D answers the question of what age she would like to be forever if she could, and answers with age 60. A.D explains that she believes that being a grandparent is the best job she was ever hired for. Being a grandparent to A.D is incredibly rewarding, fun, and fulfilling duty for a human being. My grandmother was definitely a mentor to my sisters, my cousins, and I for as long as I can remember. The children in the family always looked up to my grandmother and grandfather. 

The final stage in Erikson’s theory of development is integrity vs. despair. This stage lasts from age 65 to the rest of a person’s life. In this stage one is met with the question of whether or not they feel accomplished in life and if they are satisfied with the way their life has turned out. If one does not look back on their life like this, they are met with feelings of regret and may not age with grace (WebMD, 2023). I believe my grandmother, A.D, has met this psychological struggle with grace. A.D answers the question of having regrets with a huge, “NO WAY JOSÉ!”. A.D explains she has absolutely no regrets or disappointments in her life besides the fact that she picked up smoking. A.D wishes she never smoked cigarettes because she believes this caused her to have the COPD diagnosis so early in life. A.D goes on to say in the interview that although she wished she knew better back then about the dangers of smoking, she has no real regrets because of how satisfied and proud she is of all her other accomplishments. A.D feels like she completed her duties of being a good mother, grandmother, and wife because of the way her children and grandchildren came out to be. A.D also reported that if she were to die tomorrow that she would thank god for the life she lived and that she would be at peace with the way things turned out. 

Part II: Reflection

I felt awkward walking into this experience, knowing I had to interview my grandmother about some pretty deep topics surrounding her life. I felt as though I knew so much about my grandma before the interview took place, but I really did not. I never thought to sit down with her and really engage in a deep conversation about her life. After my first visit with her I was so excited to go back and continue the process. I feel a special connection with my grandmother and it got immensely deeper after the interview process was complete. It shocked me to learn that the first person my grandmother ever kissed was actually my grandfather now. It also shocked me that she would say 60 is her favorite age and that she would stay 60 forever if she could. I did not know that being a grandmother and mother would have meant so much to her. I learned how selfless, caring, and appreciative my grandmother really is, and how important it is to put your family first in everything. My grandmother explained in the interview that she misses being able to skip around the house, go on runs, and even be able to stand for more than 10 minutes without losing her breath. This comment taught me how important it is to appreciate the little things in life, and to always try and preserve your health and mobility as you age. I would prioritize giving this participant education on smoking cessation and the disadvantages of smoking and COPD, but my grandmother quit smoking a little too late and already is diagnosed with this horrible disease. I wish I knew better growing up how bad this activity of smoking could really affect someone, and maybe somehow prolong my grandmother’s life. I know in the future I will never pick up a cigarette and I will always keep being active in my own life. My grandmother also expressed to me to never stress and to always do what makes me happy in life and that was her most important advice to me. I am going to take my grandmother’s advice and do just that!

References WebMD. (2023, July 29). Erikson’s 8 stages of development. WebMD.         https://www.webmd.com/children/what-to-know-eriksons-8-stages-development