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BaronFireButterfly8
interview an older adult (age 65 or older) about their life story,…
interview an older adult (age 65 or older) about their life story, using the Life Span Interview document
Provide a chronological history of the individual’s major life experiences.
Identify specific biological, psychological, and sociological influences that shaped the individual’s experience.
Analyze the individual’s experiences by applying theory and concepts learned throughout both HBSE courses.
Be sure to include the ways in which power, privilege, and oppression shaped their experience (e.g., race and ethnicity, gender, religion, ability, sexual orientation, etc.).
Provide your reflection of the experience, both in interviewing the individual and analyzing their narrative.
Explain what you learned and how you will apply this learning to future social work practice.
Demographics
How do you prefer to be addressed?
What is your age?
Where were you born and raised?
How do you identify your ethnicity?
How do you identify your gender?
Childhood and Adolescence
How many siblings do you have?
How would you describe your childhood?
Who were your friends when you were growing up? Did you maintain those
friendships throughout life? Any reason why or why not?
What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, beach, etc.) growing up? In
your young/middle adult years?
Where did you go to school? What was school like for you as a child? What were
your best and worst subjects?
At what age did you leave home?
Young and Middle Adulthood
Did you marry? If so, at what age? If you have children, how many?
Were you employed? If so, where?
Where did you live?
Were you involved in the military in your young or middle adulthood? If so, how
did it mold you as a person?
Later Adulthood
Have you retired? If so, from where? How would you rate your retirement
experience? (Did you return to work?)
Have you experienced any financial limitations in later adulthood?
Do you have any health issues? If so, what are they? Do these health issues
place limits on your functioning?
Has religion/spirituality been a part of your life? If so, how has your religious or
spiritual development changed in later adulthood?
What has been your experience with aging (physically, psychologically, socially,
environmentally)?
Do you have any challenges accessing healthcare?
How would you describe your social life, friendships, and social activities?
How do you see yourself today? (e.g., as an elder, senior, older adult?)
Have you had any experiences with services not being available to you as an
elder/senior/older adult?
Have you experienced age-related discrimination? Other types of discrimination?
Looking Back
What has been the happiest moment of your life?
Who is the person who has influenced your life the most?
Have you lost a loved one? If so, how has that loss affected your life?
What world events have had the most impact on you?
What are some of the most important lessons you have learned over the course
of your life?
As you look back over your life, do you see any “turning points”; that is, a key
event or experience that changed the course of your life or set you on a different
track?
What are you most proud of?
How would you like to be remembered?
