Observation #1

Class/secti FHS 1500-400

on:
Name:
Ashley Banna
Assignmen Observation 5
t:
Background
Childs age:
Fictitious
name:
Location:
Brief
Description:

Information
65 years or older
Peggy
Grandmas House
Observing with family around.

Physical Development
Peggy has mastered biological development. She stays active by
taking her dog on walks and gardening. Walking her dog has really helps her
get out of the house and spend more time outside. She also gardens during
the warmer parts of the year. She is very proud of her work out in the
garden. Gardening is one of her many hobbies that she is interested in that
keeps her active. Peggy also likes to draw and do other art activities. She
says that when she was younger she would draw and make art. Today, when
she gets a quiet moment, she continues to work on this hobby. Many older
people are more creative than they were earlier in life, enjoying art and
music. (Berger, 2014, P.531) Peggy says as she ages she notices that her art
become more complex. Her art pieces have more meaning then they did
when she was younger.
Peggy mentioned that one frustration at this time is that her eye sight
is weakening. This can make growing old hard. If Peggy doesnt have her

glasses with her she cant read fine print. This can make her trips to the
grocery a disaster if she forgets to put a pair of reading glasses in her purse.
Only 10 percent of people of either sex over 65 see well without glasses, but
selective compensation allows almost everyone to use their remaining sight
quite well. Changing the environment-brighter lights, large and darker printis a simple first step. Corrective lenses and magnifying glasses can also
help. (Berger, 2014, P.510)
Peggy isnt able to do the same things this year that she could 3 years
ago. She isnt able to go for runs. One of her favorite things was running
shorts distances with her daughter. Now that has become more of a struggle
for her to do. As she gets older this activity has become harder to maintain
due to getting hurt easier and being more tired. She settles for long walks
with her husband. Walking briskly for 30 minutes a day, five days a week is
a reasonable goal for the elderly. (Berger, 2014, P. 440) Peggy strives for
this, however, it can be difficult. She continues to make goals to reach 30
minutes a day and has purchased a treadmill to assist her.

Cognitive Development
At this stage of Peggys life, she feels it is sometimes hard for her to find a
word she is looking for. This happens due to memory loss and the slowing
down of the brain. She plays word games and reads a lot in hopes to help her
with her brain to keep thinking and stay sharp. She is constantly learning
new words every day to keep her vocabulary sharp. Senescence reduces

production of neurotransmitters- glutamate, acetylcholine, serotonin, and

especially dopamine-that allow a nerve impulse to jump quickly across the
synaptic gap from one neuron to another. Neural fluid decreases, myelination
thins, cerebral blood circulates more slowly. The result is an overall brain
slowdown, evident in reaction time, moving, talking, and thinking. (Berger,
2014, P.512) This is why the older you get, the harder it becomes to
remember things.
Although many changes do occur during this time, it is also not a time
to give up. Even in the aging brain New neurons form and dendrites grow
but that good news is tempered by another factgrowth is slow (Berger,
2014, p. 511). Science is a field that is constantly changing and Peggy loves
to learn. She is very grateful for the time she has now to learn. Before she
was too busy with her own family and work to even think about sitting down
to read a book. Now she is able to go to the library to borrow books to read.
Right now, she has been reading a lot of science books. Peggy finds them
very enlightening to learn about. A part of her also wants to be able to keep
up with what her grandchildren are leaning about. Many 70-to 80-yearsold adults show evidence of age-related decline, some continue to maintain
very high levels of cognitive performance. (Berger, 2014, P. 511) She loves
to learn new things about the way things in our world work. She says that
sometimes it is a matter of keeping her attitude in check and motivating
herself to continue to learn.

Social/Emotional Development
Peggy spends lots of time with her friends and family. She enjoys
watching her grandchildren and picks them up from school, takes them to
piano, and helps them with their homework. Watching her grandkids is
something she does to help her daughter who has completed 7 yrs. of
college that includes almost finishing her Masters. This makes life easier for
their mother but it also gives the grandchildren a safe place to be when their
mother cant be around.
In the summer Peggy takes the grandchildren on frequent trips to the
waterpark and lots of camping. She thinks camping teaches the kids to love
and appreciate nature. She also gives the children the opportunity to do
crafts and cook. The mountain ATV rides are just plain fun. Its the perfect
place to meet the cousins, play in the woods and then learn how to bathe
and shampoo in a creek. For the most part, however, family members tend
to support one another. As you remember, familism prompts siblings,
cousins, and even more distant relatives to care for one another as
adulthood unfolds. (Berger, 2014, P.554)
Peggy appears to be a very good grandmother. Spending time with her
grandchildren is a huge part of her life. She also flies to Washington to see
her children and grandchildren that live there and helps take care of them as
well.
Peggy is a wonderful cook and likes to spend her time cooking in the
kitchen. She cooks dinners for the neighbors and her family. Her meals are

greatly appreciated. She loves being able to help everyone and everything
as much as she can. She allows the grandchildren to assist her in this. She
feels that it gives the younger ones experiences that their own parents had.
This helps connect the generations. Most grandparents enjoy their role,
gain generativity from it, and are appreciated by the younger family
members. (Berger, 2014, P. 558)
Her care of the younger generation is, however, not full-time. That
leaves her with the opportunity to make new friends and enjoy things she
hasnt before. Peggy is very optimistic and is enjoying her little life she has
created. She thinks it is a wonderful time to be alive.
Reference List
Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.