Strategies for living long and healthy
10
personal relationships (e.g., being with family and talking to friends on the phone); and c)
spiritual growth (e.g., Bible study). Because of their poor health, travel outside the home to
engage in activities was dependent upon assistance from others with transportation.
Financially Dependent/Healthy. All of the women in this group accepted aging as
inevitable as illustrated by the following comment: “Everybody gets old or they die. It doesn’t
make sense to worry about growing old.” Unlike the previous groups, the women in this group
did not associate aging with an elevated status in society, as evidenced by this comment: “I don’t
enjoy being old as anything special. It is the same thing as growing up. Nothing special at all.”
Like the other groups, they did not feel old because they were still capable of doing what they
have always done: “I don’t feel like I am old. I am doing what I used to. I am doing the same
thing.” While two of the women were considering finding employment, the other women in this
group did not mention plans to improve their status nor plans for personal growth.
Financially Dependent/Not Healthy. The good things about growing old were few and
far between for the FD/NH group, as shown by this comment: “Still alive and you’ve got
grandchildren. That’s about all is good for being old”. The women felt happy to be alive and
attributed their longevity to God as shown by these comments: “Growing old is God’s blessing.
That’s the best thing about getting old. That He loves me so much, that He gives me a chance
everyday to worship him more and get better. Still being here.” Another woman said, “I can
relax; the Lord’s been in my life. And if He has one day for me, I’ll be grateful, if He has a year,
I’ll be grateful. I don’t even want to think about it, just accept and be grateful.” Retirement also
afforded them the benefit of time to “not to work [as] hard as I used to,” “to do what (I) want
when not in pain”, and “to read, watch TV, and enjoy nice conversations with my neighbors.”
Convention