Human Behavior Discussion U-9

Future Older You

The experience of aging is different from individual to individual, however, part of getting older is learning to appreciate and value one’s lived experiences. Human service professionals can assist those in late and very late adulthood with this task. They can support their clients in reflecting on their lives, identifying unresolved conflicts that may need to be addressed, and determining what form of a legacy they want to leave once their life ends. Due to the fear of aging that so many in this country struggle with, many do not consider their future older selves until they are older.

Please respond to the following:

• Imagine “future older you” (in late or very late adulthood). Where do you live, who do you live with, what are you doing, what is going well?
• What challenges do you imagine you might be struggling with? How might your gender, race, culture, spirituality, etc., impact the challenges that you are facing?
• What interventions do you imagine would be helpful to you?
• What type of legacy do you imagine that you will want to leave behind?
• How did it feel to think about your future older self? How might this exercise help you in your work with individuals in the late or very late stage of adulthood?