Graceful Aging Scale

Order Description Identify two elder people by observation. You pick one person who you thin" rel="nofollow">ink would be in" rel="nofollow">in the upper part of the scale and one in" rel="nofollow">in the lower part. After you pick the two people, use the scale to assess the two people. You read the statement to your subject, and ask him/her to rank him/herself. The Graceful Agin" rel="nofollow">ing Scale: 1. Main" rel="nofollow">intain" rel="nofollow">ins social utility, open to new ideas, cares about others (within" rel="nofollow">in the limits of physical health) 0-3 2. Eriksonian Integrity, accepts the past and can take sustenance from past accomplishments. 0-2 3. Main" rel="nofollow">intain" rel="nofollow">ins other Eriksonian skills: Basic Trust (hope in" rel="nofollow">in life), sensible Autonomy, and Initiative. (In old age Industry, Generativity, and Intimacy are not always possible) 0-3 4. Enjoys life, retain" rel="nofollow">ins sense of humor, capacity for joy and play. (Sin" rel="nofollow">ince "old age is not for sissies," happin" rel="nofollow">iness may be possible) 0-3 5. Cheerful acceptance of "in" rel="nofollow">indignities of old age," graceful about dependency issues, takes care of self, and when ill becomes a patient that a doctor would want to care for. 0-2 6. Cultivates relationships with survivin" rel="nofollow">ing old friends and is successful in" rel="nofollow">in makin" rel="nofollow">ing new ones. 0-2 Summary Scale: 13-15 = Unusually vigorous agin" rel="nofollow">ing. Meets almost all of the criteria for successful agin" rel="nofollow">ing and beloved by physician and grandchildren. 10-12 = An old age adjustment that the rater would be content to have at 75. 7-9 = Real strengths, but some serious limitations. 4-6 = So-so adjustment -- fits the young person's stereotype of old age. More rigid and discontented than otherwise. Fails many of the above criteria. 0-3 = Moderate depression, complain" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing, dependency, rigidity, withdrawal, timidity, self-centered, unable to accept old age. The kin" rel="nofollow">ind of elderly person doctors don't like and that young relatives withdraw from.