Psyc 345: Planning for Final Interview.
Here are some possible topics for your final interview with an elderly person. These are suggestions, not requirements. You may choose to cover some of these topics, or to continue with other topics described in other handouts, or to pursue other topics on your own. However, all students should read sections 5, 6, and 7 below.
1. "Going Deeper" into feelings that have come up in previous discussions.
2. Further exploration regarding tentataive conclusions. Think through whether you are forming any analysis or assessment of the person, or forming any tentative conclusions about the person. Consider further exploration of any issues that will clarify some of your tentative conclusions regarding the person.
3. Broader topics not yet covered. Examples:
- Personality. Discuss the person's answer to the question, "What Kind
of a Person Am I?"
- Values.
- Attitudes.
- Wisdom. See separate handout on questions related to wisdom.
- Happiness. See separate handout on questions related to happiness and quality
of life.
4. Specific later-life issues:
- Retirement.
- Death and dying.- Changes in all of the above throughout the lifespan.
5. Ask: DO YOU HAVE ANY FINAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
6. THANK YOU AND GOODBYE.
CAUTION about promises for follow-up that may not occur. After spending time with the person you interviewed, and perhaps getting to know him or her quite well, you may have some difficulty saying goodbye. There may be a natural tendency to say you will keep in touch, or to promise to call, write, visit, or get back to them in some way. Please be very cautious about making such promises. It can be a big disappointment to an elderly person if a student says he or she will keep in touch, and then does not. We have all made promises to “keep in touch” and then not done so. I strongly recommend that you simply express your sincere appreciation to the person for having met with you and shared some of his or her life with you. If you then later decide to give the person a call or write a note, that will be fine, but if it doesn’t happen, at least you will not have raised false expectations.
And one last thing:
7. THANK-YOU NOTE. It would be good to write a brief thank-you note to the person you interviewed. Even a simple note can mean a great deal - especially to someone who grew up when such notes were much more often written (and expected). Just send a little card or note saying how much you appreciate that the person met with you and shared some of his or her life with you, and wish them well. Word your note carefully and have someone else look at it before you send it.