Life review assistance 

 

LIFE REVIEW  assistance   (Part 2)

This includes the a) Interview, b) Theory Application, and Reflection. 

How to conduct your interview

Begin by briefly expressing your interest in learning about the elder’s life and set an appointment for a convenient time and place where the interview will take place. Explain that you will use this interview as a class assignment and ask for permission from the older person at his time to share the interview with your professor/class.

Interview your subject in a quiet private location; it is recommended that no others are present during the interview. You can use a recording device to record the interview process and your subject’s answers. By recording the interview rather than taking notes, it will give you the chance to focus on other types communications such as body language, facial expression, etc., which will help with your descriptive skills while writing your paper. Make sure the elder is comfortable and you are seated in a position to be heard (you could also maintain eye contact if in the elder’s cultural background eye contact is a form of being polite). Allow adequate time for the interview but do not prolong it to more than two sessions. The Interview is the telling of the story of the life of the elder you interviewed. This section is written as Q& A (question and answer) format. 

Biopsychosocial Model Application

This portion allows you to incorporate course material to your case study life experiences. In this section, you must incorporate what you learned from the interview to class lecture and the course’s readings. You need to: (1) define the biopsychosocial model, and (2) describe how the components of wellness are identifiable in your interviewee’s life to describe his/her wellness at the time of interview. 

Reflection 

In your reflection, you need to (1) apply 3 course concepts from class materials to the interview. Don’t forget: whenever you cite a source you need to give the appropriate APA reference (author, year). 

Also in your reflection, you will (2) reflect on what you learned from this assignment, to include:  (a) what you learned from the older adult, (b) what you learned from the interview process, (3) what you learned from this writing process (e.g., submitting a script and then the final paper, (4) what you would have done different through this process and explain why, and (5) describe your own personal reactions associated with one’s own aging process. ALL of these components have to be in your reflection for full credit.

A final note: 

This is not only a writing assignment. It is also designed to give you experience with interviewing skills. This is a case study – a qualitative research project of a single case. Give it your best effort and you will learn something valuable by listening to a real-life story.

The Life Review Interview should present a full picture of your subject’s life. Details help. To accomplish this, you will need to be an engaged listener, involving yourself in the person’s story, and not just completing a class assignment. You may need to interview the person twice, going back for more detailed answers in areas that interest you. At times, you may need to rephrase some of the questions to make them better understood. You may need to prompt the older adult, using such phrases as “tell me more,” “I think I understand, you were…” etc. Do not force the person to go into detail about a topic if he/she is uncomfortable! Allow the interviewee to talk about what interests him/her, BUT move him/her along so you can have a story that covers the whole life. You can get the interview moving along by saying things like, “I would like to hear more on that later if we have time. Now, I’d like to ask you about…” A tape recorder really helps you to get the most out of the interview; however, it is not mandatory.

at least 6 pages 

 

Submit a 2- to 4-page paper that includes the following:

• A description of the health concerns that clients may face as they reach middle adulthood
• An analysis that explains how factors such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other demographic characteristics might impact at least three of the health concerns you identified
• An explanation of how you, as a social worker, should take these potential health concerns and the environmental factors that influence them into account as you complete your assessments

References to site 

 

Zastrow, C. H., Kirst-Ashman, K. K. & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

• Chapter 10, “Biological Aspects of Young and Middle Adulthood” (pp. 455-484)

 Temcheff, C. E., Serbin, L. A., Martin-Storey, A., Stack, D. M., Ledingham, J., & Schwartzman, A. E. (2011). Predicting adult physical health outcomes from childhood aggression, social withdrawal and likeability: A 30-Year prospective, longitudinal study. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 18(1), 5–12. 

  

Zastrow, C. H., Kirst-Ashman, K. K. & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

• Chapter 10, “Biological Aspects of Young and Middle Adulthood” (pp. 455-484)

Zastrow, C. H., Kirst-Ashman, K. K. & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

• Chapter 10, “Biological Aspects of Young and Middle Adulthood” (pp. 455-484)

• Conduct an environmental scan and write an assessment in which you focus on both the internal and external factors that could affect your success within your chosen industry. 

Introduction

After an organization has completed a SWOT analysis, it will carefully monitor both the internal and external environments to detect signs of opportunities and threats that could affect current and future plans. This environmental scanning can help an organization identify trends that are most likely to affect the industry, thereby allowing the development of a strategy for change. The right information, at the right time, can determine the future of an organization.

Note: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in order and should be completed in sequence.

Conduct a personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. In your analysis, consider the following:

Strengths

• What advantages do you have that others do not (skills, education, experience, certifications)?• What achievements are you most proud of?• What do you do better than anyone else?• What do you think others would see as your strengths?• Do you have special connections that others may not have?• What personal resources do you have available?

Be sure to consider how others see you—not just how you see yourself.

Weaknesses

• Are there tasks you avoid doing because you do not feel confident doing them?• Do you have any negative work habits (often late, disorganized, easily stressed)?• Do you feel confident about your skills, experience, and education?• Do you have any personality traits that might hold you back? For example, do you have a fear of public speaking, yet work where you are expected to conduct regular meetings?

Again, consider how others see you.

Opportunities

• Do you have a network of influential contacts that can help or offer advice?• Is there a need in your company or industry that no one else has been able to fill?• Are there trends in your company that you can use to your advantage?• Can you offer solutions to problems within your company?

Threats

• What kind of obstacles are you facing at work?• Are there co-workers/colleagues competing with you for positions or projects?• Has the nature of your job changed?• Does technology pose a threat to your position?• Do any of your weaknesses pose a threat?• What threats to your overall plan are there?

Once you have completed your SWOT analysis, identify strategies that you can use to capitalize on your strengths and open up opportunities, and address ways you can minimize areas of weakness and eliminate threats. Consider asking a trusted peer or friend to review your SWOT analysis and provide you with honest feedback. Analyze the feedback you receive and include that analysis in your assessment. Were there aspects of the feedback that surprised you?

To successfully complete this assessment, you may need to do some research on writing a SWOT analysis. Format this assessment as a research paper following current APA guidelines for both style and citing sources, making sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There is no required minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive to be as detailed as possible in addressing each bullet point, while also being as clear and concise as possible.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:

• Competency 3: Communicate effectively. o Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.• Competency 4: Plan strategically. o Describe strategies to use SWOT analysis to improve competitive advantage.• Competency 5: Employ high-performance business management techniques. o Analyze strengths to determine competitive advantages.o Analyze opportunities that may be leveraged for competitive advantage.o Analyze threats to competitive advantage.• Competency 6: Solve problems within professional standards. o Analyze weaknesses to determine areas for improvement.

Theories of successful aging explain factors that support individuals as they grow old, contributing to their ability to function. Increasing your understanding of factors that support successful aging improves your ability to address the needs of elderly clients and their families.

To prepare for this Discussion, review this week’s media. In addition, select a theory of successful aging to apply to Sara’s case.

By Day 3

Post a Discussion in which you:

• Explain key life events that have influenced Sara’s relationships. Be sure to substantiate what makes them key in your perspective.
• Explain how you, as Sara’s social worker, might apply a theory of successful aging to her case. Be sure to provide support for your strategy.

 

Required Readings

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
“The Parker Family” (pp. 6-8)

Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA:  Cengage Learning.
Chapter 15, “Psychological Aspects of Later Adulthood” (pp. 685-714)

Newell, J. M., & MacNeil, G. A. (2010). Professional burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue: A review of theoretical terms, risk factors, and preventive methods for clinicians and researchers. Best Practice in Mental Health, 6(2), 57–68.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Shier, M. L., & Graham, J. R. (2011). Mindfulness, subjective well-being, and social work: Insight into their Interconnection from social work practitioners. Social Work Education, 30(1), 29–44.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Parker family: Episode 2 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.

Accessible player –Downloads–Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload Transcript

Optional Resources

Use the link below to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.
MSW home page

Cappeliez, P., & Robitaille, A. (2010). Coping mediates the relationships between reminiscence and psychological well-being among older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 14(7), 807–818.

Ong, A. D., Bergeman, C. S., & Boker, S. M. (2009). Resilience comes of age: Defining features in later adulthood. Journal of Personality, 77(6), 1777–1804.

Ong, A. D., Bergeman, C. S., Bisconti, T. L., & Wallace, K. A. (2006). Psychological resilience, positive emotions, and successful adaptation to stress in later life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(4), 730–749.

Weiss, D., & Lang, F. R. (2009). Thinking about my generation: Adaptive effects of a dual age identity in later adulthood. Psychology and Aging, 24(3), 729–734.