Ms. Ruby Johnson, Caretaker for Three Generations

There are several physical, biological, psychological, and socioemotional changes that may occur from that is evident in Ms. Ruby’s case. Caregiving is a hard task that requires a lot of energy and long hours of work. Despite the monetary benefits, many changes may occur to an older person working as a caregiver. Working as a caregiver it will not take long for an older person to begin slowing down due to exhaustion. Since the job is physically intensive and stressful, counting to work leads to many changes. Since Ms. Ruby is diabetic working past her age is not safe. One of the biological changes evident is that she started experiencing joint and physical issues. This is because her muscles have started to become weak due to extensive work. Psychologically, she is experiencing a lot of stress resulting from the need to take care of her father and family. This can lead to serious mental problems such as depression, lack of sleep, and anxiety problems (Shane, Niwa & Heckhausen, 2021). Socially, Ms. Ruby does not have time to connect with her friends and people of her age. She also lacks time to spend with her family and grandchildren. Ms. ruby is likely to experience the emotional pains of seeing her retired friends relaxing and enjoying life.

Practicing healthy habits is critical for people in their late adulthood like Ms. Ruby. I would advise Ms. Ruby to find a hobby that keeps her physically and mentally active and gets her out of the house and mingling with people. She should also keep her weight down, but not at the expense of never eating nice food, leafy greens and tomatoes are not real human food. She can exercise, but only doing an activity she enjoys, walking would be a great exercise, because it gets her out in the fresh air, enjoying nature, and learning about her suburb, which is very useful if she decides to walk rather than drive her car to the bank, post office or shops. For that matter, she should always walk rather than take the car for short distances, not only is it good for her health, it will also save her money. I would advise Ms. Ruby to find a suitable job that allows her to rest and have a significant amount of time with her family. A simple wor will provide her with physical, intellectual, and social stimulation, all of which are essential for good health.

An additional self-care strategy is to avoid stress and appreciate her life the way it is. It is critical to appreciate the various life stages, none of which can be attained without aging. From the moment we are born, aging begins. Aging does not stop until the moment we die. Acceptance of this fact is an element of maturation and a portal to wisdom. Erik Erikson was an influential psychologist of the 20th Century whose seminal contribution viewed human development across eight life stages (Hutchison, 2019). Notably, when he and his wife were well into their 80’s, they identified the ninth step of development. Everyone will eventually grow old. Therefore, Ms. Ruby should accept this stage of life and embrace all the good things like spending time with her family and other activities that make her happy.

References

Hutchison, E. D. (2019). Dimensions of human behavior: The changing life course (6thed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Shane, J., Niwa, E. Y., & Heckhausen, J. (2021). Prosociality across adulthood: A developmental and motivational perspective. Psychology and Aging, 36(1), 22.