Despair becomes even more a lurking possibility in the Ninth Stage than it was in the Eighth. In this stage with the increased loss of physical abilities elders often begin to mistrust themselves and the environment. Autonomy is being continually whittled away. Just the simple wanting of a sandwich can leave you in a state of dependency. Heaven forbid you should want that sandwich prepared in a special way, the way you once prepared it for yourself. During this stage other people, even your own children, tell you what to do. This may cause the older person to become disagreeable as a way of asserting even a modicum of adult autonomy. Through empathy the caretaker can perhaps ameliorate some of the elder relative’s shame and doubt. As difficult as it may be allowing the elder to participate in his/her own decision-making as much as possible may lessen some of the negativity in the interaction.
With increasing age older people can lose their sense of place in the family. They may no longer have an ascribed role to play. Not knowing where they fit can chip away at even the most carefully formed identity and cause a person to isolate. It becomes vital for the family to find a way to integrate this older person into the life of the family.
The primary difference between this stage and the eighth stage is that in the ninth stage the elder no longer has the “luxury of retrospective despair over their life.” They are likely to be more involved with what body part will stop working that day. Or what special friend they be gone tomorrow. All this sets them up for despair. However, all is not as bleak as it seems. If the old old person can get past the despair the way is made clear for gerotranscendence. Gerotranscendence is the stage at which the elder person is peacefully ready to move on to the next stage of existence. I will discuss gerotranscendence next month.
References:
Brown, C. & Lowis, M.J. (2003). Psychosocial development in the elderly: An investigation into Erikson’s ninth stage. Journal of Aging Studies, 17, 415-426.
Goleman, D.(July 14, 1988). Erikson, in his old age, expands his view of life. The New York Times.
Erikson, E. & Erikson, J. (1998).
The life cycle completed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
International Herald Tribune (June 14, 1995). American topics: Oldest old, not baby boomers, is fastest-growing age group.
International Herald Tribune, Retrieved April 25, 2008 from www.IHT.com.
