Rasmussen College Interviewing a Cognitively Intact Elderly Person
Interview a cognitively intact elderly person. This person must be 65 or older and may be a client, friend, neighbor, parent, grandparent, or other elder family member. Obtain permission for the interview, which should last no more than 30-45 minutes. Ask the elder to describe different factors and experiences which they feel shaped their life, lifestyle, and attitudes towards aging and health. While you are free to develop your own questions and/or direction of the interview, keep the following points in mind throughout the interview, and address each point in your paper. Enjoy your time with your elderly interviewee!
- Describe your current health beliefs/practices. Are they the same as those of your parents, elders, or culture? If different, describe how they are different and what may have influenced the change(s)
- When you were younger, you probably had some expectations about growing older. Please describe them. Have these expectations been met, or has your experience been different? If different, describe
