Resilience in Old Age: A Conceptual Analysis

Abstract

This case report highlights a case from an old-age home where majority of elderly were found to be depressed and hopeless, one 70 years old woman's distinct trait amazed the authors. Her life history revealed that she got married at the age of 15 and after 20 years, she delivered 1child with meningitis. Due to child disease, she had to frequently visit the hospital. When her daughter was 5 years old, her husband died and this event led her to be the only caregiver of disabled daughter. In-spite of financial instability, she didn't stop her child's treatment; but her daughter died at the age of 10. When she reached at late adulthood, she remarried and started to enjoy satisfactory relationship with her spouse. After spending 5 years, she got divorced and shifted to old age home. Even now, with the fact of increasing age and fronting adversity, she still hopes to remarry in-order to spend her end days happily. She is always observed to be positive, helpful, and self-motivated, indicating that she has developed resilience. This paper aims to examine the impact of resilience on mental health of an elderly. In this case, application of “resiliency framework for elderly” denotes the presence of protective factors and positive psychological outcomes such as positive adaptation, and emotional wellbeing. In conclusion, to strengthen positive psychology, healthcare professionals’ role is considered pertinent because resilience can impede at any time if it is not well supported.