Gerotranscedence

“ I used to feel that I was out on a river being carried away by the stream without being able to control it. Even if I wanted to go ashore I couldn’t control it: I was carried away both from pleasant and unpleasant things. But today I feel like the river. I feel like I’m the river. I feel that I’m part of the flow that contains both the pleasant and the unpleasant things” – Eva (Tornstam 1999a:180).

As we age and evolve we reach a new understanding of the world and where and how we fit into that world. Eva’s changed perception has given her the ability to understand her role in the universe. All of us have probably noticed at one time or another our changing perceptions as we age. As Gerontologists, we identify and study trends in aging. When we identify these trends, we dig deeper to identify the causes and potential implications.

Maybe you have just realized your parent or loved one doesn’t do things the way they always did or the way we think they should. Are they declining? Many times the first answer we arrive at isn’t the correct one. Priorities change. Do you remember thirteen? Three hours to get ready for an event, image was everything. Your 20’s and thirties were probably mostly focused on your career and children, 50’s on hitting retirement, and enjoying life a bit more. Whatever age you are we observe commonalities. So why don't we apply the same concept to older adults and rather than decide that they have declined? Could it be there’s wisdom we do not yet understand? We alter our existence based on our bodies physiology, environment, and experiences. This is survival. We have been doing this since the beginning of time. Our societal norms have evolved. As we think about this, placing the same individual in society that was normal 100 years ago we might consider them to be abnormal today.

According to the theory of Gerotranscendence, the individual redefines the importance of social relationships in such a way that he or she becomes more selective, prefers more one-on- one communication to more superficial contacts with many, and experiences a greater need for solitude. Depression, illness, loneliness, and isolation were mentioned in this connection (Tornstam, 2005). Many interviewees in the study noticed the decreased need for social interaction, increased need for solitude, and tended to interpret this negatively (Tornstam, 2005). Activity was regarded as being very important for the well-being of older adults. The underlying activity theory perspective was valued quite significantly. A study reached a similar result, finding that older adults increased need for solitude was a defense mechanism of sorts in reaction to losing close friends or relatives while lacking the energy to find new friends (Tornstam, 2005).

An individual may experience a decreased interest in material things and a greater need for solitary meditation. Emptiness, loneliness, passivity, and loss of one’s self are all commonly accepted symptoms of mysticism. These symptoms which are conducive to loneliness and lead to a “negative psychological state” take on a different meaning within the context of mystical concepts such as late-life development (Moody, 1995). Do older adults experience mysticism through a detachment of a superficial experience of life for a deeper reality yet unknown (Moody, 1995)? First, we must examine some other social norms for different societies and cultures. Doing so, we may consider if they have embraced different approaches, thoughts, or feelings about withdrawal in older adulthood.

Aging research has and continues to evolve. So before you become concerned out your 90-year-old parent doesn’t want to shower daily, or go to the doctor for non-life-threatening issues take a step back and ask “Why?” In my experience older adults’ may express they do not want to spend all of their time doctoring or worry about things that will not cause imminent harm. Many older adults express they may not want to waste as much of their time or energy on bathing rituals, they may not want to live life from the perspective of the “safest” choice. Most of us have never lived our lives always making the safest choice. Be informative, but allow the individual to choose.

Each of our lives is our story and this story shouldn’t be altered because we feel that just because a person has aged that he or she is incompetent. At NorthShore Home Care, we utilize an extensive gerontological education and background to develop effective approaches that employ dignity and respect.