At the beginning of the semester, I’ve only had a few concentrated experiences with older adults, from volunteering at an assisted living facility to my own grandparents. I wasn’t particularly interested in Gerontology, but I went into the class with the mindset of openness to learn. I’ve noticed a lot of misconceptions about this population in general and there are instances of situations in my own personal life where I noticed comments or behaviors that are ageist. My own personal experiences have shown me that even though people are much older than me, they still have interests, wants, dislikes, and needs just like the rest of us. I felt it was very unfair to put them in the place of assumption that they are too old to do anything. Throughout the course we learned about many different areas in gerontology such as Common Changes in Aging, Polypharmacy, Sexuality, End of Life issues, Elder Abuse, etc. As a nurse, even if I don’t necessarily have patients who are older adults, I still will interact with that population as caregivers, friends and loved ones. Just like how we are taught to be cognitive in the way we approach younger patients, or patients who have developmental deficiencies and match where they’re at, it is crucial to give the same type of awareness to older adults and meet them where they are holistically. When thinking about my own aging, I have been much more comfortable in the thought of growing old because there are so many things in life that I can experience at different stages. Just because I grow older, doesn’t mean I need to stop being myself. I can pursue relationships, careers and hobbies whatever stage I’m at. Health is still definitely wealth. I want to focus on creating good habits that will last me for the rest of my life. There is no shame in constantly learning your place in life. Growing older doesn’t mean you know everything and you have innate wisdom. I was to be able to continue to educate myself and pursue everything I can whenever I can. Priorities do change or evolve, but I think that is the beauty and the privilege of growing old.
