Growth and Development - for Elders Reminiscence, An Underused Nursing Resource.

Abstract

Gerontology and geriatrics are young fields of study, and yet the process of aging and the achievement of great age have always been of interest. The saying that "All men would live long, but none would be old" reflects the anxiety that all feel about the observed incapacities of some elders. Dr. Cyril Gryfe (1980) has provocatively stated that ", making the point that for the older individual, health is the chief concern and prevention the chief process, in maintaining the highest level of wellness possible for the longest period possible. Developmental Tasks: Nurses have always been involved with elderly patients in acute care hospitals or in various extended care settings, but like most of the population, they have been slow to recognize that elders are not just middle-aged adults who have been around longer than usual. They have needs and resources distinct from those of middle-aged adults, and they are capable of growth and development. The effective gerontological nurse is committed to the belief, among others, that the elder with an intact psyche is capable of growth and development until the end of his life.