Case Study on Aging
The goal of this assignment is to gain practical experience in investigating issues related to aging.
Education gained from textbooks and lectures is important, but application of your knowledge in a realworld
setting is invaluable and can greatly increase your understanding and empathy towards the
challenges that can arise with aging.
Your task is to conduct and record a semi-structured interview with an older adult in order to gain a
first-hand insight into physical aspects of aging. Recording the interview will enable you to carry on a
conversation with the interviewee without having to break the momentum of the conversation by
writing down everything that is spoken. You should still take notes during the interview to help you
recall any observed non-verbal behaviors that potentially may be important in your paper.
You will also administer one of the most widely validated and commonly used physical health status
instruments – The Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form, usually referred to the SF-36. Your subsequent
paper will be based on the information you obtain from the semi-structured interview and the SF-36.
You are free to select anyone you wish (a relative or close friend is fine!) so long as the person is at least
60 years of age. Ideally, try to find someone you know well. This assignment could be very informative in
evaluating the physical well-being of your interviewee, especially with regard to how physical changes
associated with aging have impacted their life and daily functioning. All too often we fail to step back
from situations to assess changes that are occurring in older adults who may be close to us. Hopefully,
this assignment will enhance your awareness of their current physical health status and the effects that
aging has had on their physical functioning.
You may have someone in mind that would be ideal for an interview but does not live close by. In this
situation it is perfectly acceptable to conduct the interview over the telephone. Research is often
conducted in this manner, to increase sample sizes and reduce cost. I would rather you conduct a
telephone interview with someone who is well known to you, rather than a face-to-face interview with
someone you barely know.
When you contact the person, make sure to stress that the interview is simply a class assignment
designed to help you learn more about physical aspects of aging. In addition, assure the person that the
interview is confidential and that you will not use their real name in your report.
HOW TO CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW
I suggest that you start by asking the questions in the protocol. After you have completed the
questions, then administer the SF-36. When you are conducting the interview, keep in mind that
that your interviewee is volunteering their time. Try to be as thorough as possible but complete
your interview in a timely manner. It is best to forewarn your interviewee that your interview
should take no more than about 45 minutes.
Try not to take any longer unless it is obvious that your interviewee is enjoying the experience,
and is giving you lots of information. Try to prompt your interviewee to give you a lot of
information; don’t just write yes/no answers on the protocol… it makes writing your paper a lot
easier when you have plenty of material that you can draw upon!
The Paper
You are required to turn in the Protocol with notes (your hand-written notes are fine), the completed
SF-36, and the paper. The paper should be a minimum of 5 full pages of double-spaced written text, with
1-inch margins, using Times 12-point font only. In addition, include a title page.
Organize your paper using the following headings. Make sure that you answer all of the following!
Introduction – (1-page minimum) – Introduce your interviewee by using a pseudonym for the name.
Identify age, education level, occupation, and a little information about their life history (e.g. where they
have lived, children, hobbies, etc.).
Discussion – (this should be longest section of your paper). Present what you have learned about the
topic. You can also discuss relevant medical conditions your interviewee may be experiencing (e.g.,
osteoarthritis). For example, an older person might spend time during the interview discussing
osteoarthritis and how it limits his/her activities. You would generally explain what osteoarthritis is,
what you heard from your interviewee, and how common/uncommon this is in older adults, and how it
is treated. Refer to your textbook and lecture notes. You are not required to find additional external
sources for this paper, but if it helps strengthen your paper, additional references are encouraged.
Comparison – Compare the SF-36 to your own interview questions.
Describe any apparent inconsistencies with the information you obtained from the protocol
compared with the SF-36.
Describe whether you think the information you obtained from the SF-36 was as informative as
the information you derived from the protocol (or your own questions) for determining the
current health status of your interviewee.
What areas did you think the SF-36 did a better job, and a weaker job?
Compare the time it took to administer the SF-36 to the semi-structured protocol. Did
the SF-36 capture the most important aspects of physical functioning in a shorter time?
Conclusion – Summarize your overall impressions from the interview.
Did you learn things that you were unaware of regarding your interviewee?
Hansen / Summer 2019
If you interviewed a close friend or relative, do you think you will be more attentive to
their needs?
Has it made you think about your own aging process, life expectancy, and some of the
things you will do, as you get older to ensure that you will age successfully?