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During the interviews I adapted my communication to a softer tone, I set my phone and all distractions aside to be completely present, and remained present throughout the entire interview.  I did this because she was talking about her life, and moments that molded her into who she is today.  She was so passionate when talking about her life, and she deserved my undivided attention.  When she realized that I was completely invested in what she was talking about, she began talking more and telling stories more in depth because she knew I was listening.  I think a lot of older adults will quiet themselves because they feel that nobody is listening.  When she talked about my grandfather and when he passed, she became very tearful.  I reached across the table and grabbed her hand while she was talking to let her know that I was listening.  This really opened my eyes to just how far therapeutic touch can go in some situations.  Just by me grabbing her hand, she was able to get through the tough part of the interview. My initial words and phrases in the beginning of the course were, Cute, Wise, Elderly, Fragile, & Unpredictable.  These initial phrases did not change.  I think the older adult population are beyond wise, and listening to my grandma tell stories and the domino effect off of those stories really solidified that.   I think being present and the appropriate use of therapeutic touch is what will impact my future nursing practice.  I’ve always been a good listener, but I’ve always struggled with knowing how to respond.  This interview taught me that sometimes just listening, letting them know you’re present in the conversation, and offering just a hand will help patients through tough conversations.

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I enjoyed listening to you reminisce about your younger years, and hearing you tell stories.  You kept getting off topic telling stories about different things.  The stories you were telling were so interesting because of the way you grew up, and how different it was from how I grew up.  The story about your friend in the military was very surprising to me, just because I did not realize that you lived through that.  During our interviews, I learned how important it is to live in the moment.  You could tell stories with such detail from so many years ago, because you were present in every moment.

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The hardest thing I ever had to do was watch your grandfather suffer through dementia, and eventually lay him to rest. He was my best friend, the best father to our children, and the love of my life. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it through, but with the support of my family I was. I still miss him every single day. It does bring me joy to tell stories about him, and hear my grandkids reminisce on memories with him.

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During your grandfather's time in the Army, I spent a lot of time in the library reading.  I made a really good friend, who was African American, and her and I would read in the library  together.  We would walk to the library, but we couldn't walk together, even though her husband was in the military too.  Your grandfather would pick us up from the library and through certain parts of town she would have to lay down in the back seat so she wouldn't be seen with us.  This made me sad.
Grandpa was never in active duty, because he was an only child, so the time spent in the military wasn't too difficult on us. I am so thankful for this because not too many people were that lucky

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I will say, being a mom is what I was put on this earth to do.  I had four beautiful children, who have blessed me with nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.   I stayed home with the kids.  We spent a lot of time at my parents house during the summers swimming and playing card games. Those are my favorite memories

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My favorite part of retirement is spending my winters in Fort Meyers, and having my family come down to visit on their breaks from school. I'm too old to be dealing with the cold and the snow. I get to sit down in the warmth and do my water color painting and quilting. The best part is that my brother and sister spend their winters in the same community I do!

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My favorite part of aging is being able to retire and spend time with my grandkids. They are my pride and joy, and I love watching them grow into mature young men and women, it's almost like reliving my childhood again and it brings me so much joy.

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I met your grandpa when we were in high school and we went all through high school together.  After high school, he went away to the army and when he got home from basic, he picked me up and we went to ozark Alabama to get married.

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My favorite holiday is Christmas because it has been a time where all of my family was together in one place, I also loved the food that everyone would bring.  

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My mom was a hairdresser and my dad worked in a factory.  I grew up with four siblings in a two bedroom one bath house. So we were all very close.  When I was in high school, my dad put a second bathroom in the house.  We had chickens and my mom would butcher them right in our backyard for dinner, and we would eat the game my dad would bring back from hunting.  We made a lot of our own clothes because we didn’t have much money

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What were the first five words that came to mind when thinking of the term "older adult"

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What were the first five words that came to mind when thinking of the term "older adult"

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Cute, Wise, Elderly, Fragile, & Unpredictable

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My grandmother, Mary Ellen