Janet's Development Stage: Case Study

Janet Idris Biography

Janet is 50 years old a mature adult who is married to James Idris a 60 years old farmer. Janet has four children who are in their young adult's stages in life and have cleared school got married and in stable jobs. Janet has been a nurse practitioner, and she has just retired from official practice due to age constraints although she continues to offer private practice in the neighborhood. Janet is struggling to finish paying the mortgage on her home because she had to channel most of her finances towards educating her four children because her husband farming has not been doing well. Besides, Janet has been planning a vacation to Africa with her husband which they have planned for in many years by putting aside some of their earning in a savings account. Regarding health, Janet has been experiencing difficulties handling tough work which she used to complete previously at ease due to back problems and also declining level of energy. Janet's daily activities are now limited to offering health advice in the community health center and also mentoring young nurses who are in their prime in their nursing practice.

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Theoretical Description of Janet's Development Stage

Physical Development

Janet's body functioning has been declining due to age which has limited her daily activities. Janet body functioning lacks flexibility and her back aches from time to time which has limited the number of physical activities she can complete, and she has to rely on outside help to finish most of the physically demanding activities in the house. Janet's face has started showing signs of wrinkles, and her hair has started shrinking. In the face of her reduced motor abilities, Janet has to be driven to the community health center where she offers voluntary services in mentoring nurses and also giving nursing advice to patients.

Cognitive Development

Janet's cognition abilities are gradually reducing as her ability to learn new things like the use of new technology in communication such as social media has proved to be difficult even though she wants to use her expertise in nursing to reach as many people as possible. Janet's memory has been declining, and most of the time she has to be reminded of her daily schedule which is the reason behind her early exit from active nursing practice. In most cases in the community health center where she is offering voluntary nursing services, she has to be directed by young nurses and reminded of her schedule.

Biological Aging

Janet has been a remarkable nurse in her early adulthood where she could handle long shifts and multiple clients without a problem. Due to biological aging, her body has been a major problem due to an inherent weakness of her body such as her joints and also her overall body strength. As such, Janet's active practice is limited to sitting behind a desk where she offers expatriate advice to nurses and patients.

Social Aging

Regarding social roles, Janet has few friends since her children left home to begin their new homes. Although she participates in the local church in the women group, she remains introverted but friendly to the neighbors although she does not show up in local social activities and gatherings due to her declining physical abilities and endurance. However, she is very friendly to her neighbor's children, and she always treats them to chocolates and sweet snacks. Every child in the neighborhood adores her and her children occasionally during summer vacations lets their children come to stay with their grandmother.

Theorists Arguments

Erick Erikson Theory of Psychosocial Stages

According to Erikson's psychosocial stages of development, people at the middle adulthood like Janet experience generativity and stagnation stages socially. In agreement with Erikson's perspective, Janet contribute to the community by taking care of her grandchildren during holidays and treats her neighbor's children to candies and sweet snacks. Janet is good to people by offering support to the people through her voluntary nursing services at the community health center. Through these activities makes Janet feel a sense of accomplishment as a person in the community. From a psychoanalytic perspective, psychosocial development is discontinuous and takes place in stages declining with age (Cherry, 2017).

Development is Multidimensional and Multidirectional

Development is affected by continuous interaction and blends of biological, psychosocial and social forces. Janet's life in middle adulthood is influenced by her growth physically, socially and biologically which has led to her change in roles in the community as well as her participation. Before, Janet was an active practitioner nurse who could handle multiple patients at a time without assistance. Right now in her middle adulthood, Janet has to provide her services to the community by volunteering in the local health center to offer mentorship to young nurses who have more knowledge. Over the years, through learning and experiences, Janet has accumulated nursing experience which enables her to contribute by offering nursing advice while seated behind a desk which is now more convenience due to her declining body functions. In this case, development is multidirectional because it is not just about increase in performance but also decline in performance. Janet's active performance as a nurse practitioner has decreased with age (Schulz & Heckhausen, 1996).

Unmet Developmental Tasks

The developmental tasks concepts put development as a lifelong process and in mature adults who have retired life is characterized by more losses in cognitive, physical and psychosocial abilities. As such, the development tasks at this age include, assisting children, the transition to old age and adjustment to retirement. This period is characterized by potential gains in self-actualization and also losses in self-esteem. Constraints at this level of development that Janet is experiencing include living in a reduced income after retirement and declining physical strength. In this case, the uncompleted task in Janet's life is living on a reduced income and declining physical strength (Roisman, Masten, Coatsworth & Tellegen, 2004).

Plan to Assist Jane to Achieve her Stage of Development and Future Stages

Physical Exercise

To be able to overcome the decline in physical strength, Janet should be physically engaged to increase her body strength. Body strength and muscle strength can be achieved through regular physical exercises like running and yoga which also can help her to lead a more healthy life and avoid old age health problems like arthritis and cardiovascular problems (Kanfer & Ackerman, 2004).

Alternative Source of Income

Janet should compensate the financial decline due to her retirement by engaging in other income-generating practices like setting up a for price nursing advice and mentorship firm which she can perform well due to her accumulated experience as a nurse practitioner or help her husband in farming which could increase her overall financial ability (Hutteman, Hennecke, Orth, Reitz & Specht, 2014)

References

Cherry, K. (2017). Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development. Psychology. Psychosocial Theories. Paivitetty, 14, 2017.

Hutteman, R., Hennecke, M., Orth, U., Reitz, A. K., & Specht, J. (2014). Developmental tasks as a framework to study personality development in adulthood and old age. European Journal of Personality, 28(3), 267-278.

Kanfer, R., & Ackerman, P. L. (2004). Aging, adult development, and work motivation. Academy of management review, 29(3), 440-458.

Roisman, G. I., Masten, A. S., Coatsworth, J. D., & Tellegen, A. (2004). Salient and emerging developmental tasks in the transition to adulthood. Child development, 75(1), 123-133.

Schulz, R., & Heckhausen, J. (1996). A life span model of successful aging. American Psychologist, 51(7), 702.