Interview Assignment: A Senior’s Perspective on Health

Mohammed Khan
211639820
KINE 3350
Tuesday, March 18th, 2014
Examining seniors and their perceptions of health, in both subjective and objective measures, is critical in understanding their physical activity behaviours and their progression in becoming successful agers. In an attempt to gain a broader understanding of aging individuals, I interviewed Mrs. Uzma Firdous, a lady I had come to meet during my fieldwork at the Brampton Soccer Centre. At 69 years of age, Uzma is 7-years retired and lives comfortably in her Brampton home. Born June 16th 1944 in Lucknow, India, Uzma completed her primary and high school requirements locally, after which she completed a BSc in Anthropology at the University of Lucknow. As the eldest of five siblings, Uzma held many responsibilities in assisting her parents with house chores and in caring for her two brothers and two sisters. For this reason, she never held a job. At the age of 25, Uzma was married to the son of a close family friend, four years later moving to Toronto, Canada, as her husband sought to expand his rug trade. The idea of immigrating was a frightening experience, Uzma describes. With no relatives in Canada, they were entering an entirely different world with different cultures. Despite the couple’s anxieties, Uzma and her husband found a small apartment and settled with ease. Soon after, Uzma took up a job at the Hudson’s Bay Company as a wig consultant, while her husband found employment repairing rugs at a local rug dealership. Uzma and her husband, now both retired, have been married 44 years and have had two sons. The eldest, Ajaz, has given them two granddaughters, aged 5 and 2-months. The couple lives in a comfortable home with their younger son, Ayaz, an IT consultant, who helps them with groceries and house maintenance. Impressively capable in her activities of daily living, Uzma rates her own health as “fair” and “above average”. As a wig consultant, the majority of Uzma’s workday was spent sedentary. The little physical activity she received was incidental in her daily commute: walking between bus stops and subway stations. Her free time after work would often be spent sitting, relaxing, and reading. As a result of her inactivity at both work and home, Uzma began to experience lower back issues. At the age of 53, she was diagnosed with disc herniation and underwent surgery the following year. During the summer of her 56th birthday, Uzma fell victim to a heart attack. Fortunately, she was at home with her husband and received medical treatment quickly, an experience she describes as “life changing and life threatening”. As a result of chronic back pain and heart issues, Uzma takes four different prescription medications: two for frequent back pain, one for hypertension, and one for recurring headaches. Uzma attributes a large part of her success in rehabilitation to her family doctor. Having been with the same doctor for 22 years, Uzma has established a trusting, open relationship, one she characterizes as being “that of a best friend”. She feels no shame in sharing any health issues with her doctor, and has no problem in asking questions for clarification. Following disc herniation surgery, Uzma’s doctor had recommended she try physiotherapy in rehabilitating her back and facilitating recovery. While the physiotherapy sessions helped, the doctor consistently emphasized to Uzma the importance of engaging in some sort of moderate-intensity physical activity outside of a clinical setting, as adopting a more active lifestyle would help her maintain the benefits of her current treatment and also reduce the risk of future health complications. With the help of her doctor, Uzma was able to make drastic lifestyle changes, specifically in her diet and activity habits. In the warmer months every night, Uzma goes on a 20-minute neighbourhood walk, and in the cooler months continues her walks in a local mall. Uzma also recently joined the Easy Fit program at the Brampton Soccer Centre, describing her experiences there as being “physically stimulating and socially pleasurable”. She also practices light resistance weight training at home three times a week with a set of recently purchased 2 pound weights off the recommendation of her doctor. The greatest joy Uzma describes as receiving in life is that of being with her grandchildren. Because her eldest son and his family live in Mississauga, they are able to visit only once a week, so every opportunity to see her grandchildren is overwhelmingly joyous. Her grandchildren, she explains, motivate her to continue in being physically active, as age related declines would render her unable to keep up with them in their activities. Adopting and maintaining a more active lifestyle, she explains, will help her to foster a close relationship with her grandchildren. Despite efforts in maintaining her physical wellbeing, Uzma explains two of her most significant psychological stresses. First, her relationship with her siblings has deteriorated over the recent years, especially with them being in India. Outside of her family, Uzma has a small social circle and her days are often lonely. A typical day for Uzma begins with her waking up at 7 am, performing light stretches, and preparing breakfast for her family. Her breakfast routine also involves taking medications strictly half an hour after finishing her meal. The day usually consists of light house chores, watching television, and reading the newspaper. Occasionally, Uzma takes an hour nap around noon. And after lunch, Uzma begins preparing dinner and eats with her family later in the evening. Her evening routine consists of taking her medications, watching television, and going for an evening walk. When she returns home, she finishes any small house chores and goes to bed at 10 pm.
When asked about any issues or concerns regarding the aging process, Uzma expressed her worries of age-related declines and not being able to see her grandchildren become adults. The fear of immobility and degradation of cognitive functioning help encourage her physical activity habits. The thought of suffering another heart attack also frightens her. A second heart attack, Uzma describes, would place an unnecessary burden on her family. Uzma, however, remains incredibly optimistic about her health, especially in her recent efforts to increase her physical activity participation, namely through the Easy Fit program. Uzma has come to realize the significance of physical activity, not only in its role for her own peace of mind, but for that of her family’s.