Understanding Adaptive Competencies of a Woman in Her 80s: Toward the Development of Therapeutic Guidelines

Abstract

This article describes the adaptive competencies of an older woman who lived well into her 80s in deprived environments, to serve as a basis for developing therapeutic guidelines for older individuals in contexts of adversities. This retrospective, instrumental case study draws on the theoretical lens offered by the person-environment-fit (PEF) framework in the context of adaptive aging. Multiple data sources (Mmogo-method1—a visual projective technique—interviews and extant texts) yielded textual and visual data which were analyzed to present a case record and relevant themes. Personal competencies that enabled this woman’s adaptation were industriousness, courageous and generous caring, and agency. Four types of relationships and associated competencies emerged: ancestral heritage (being rooted), peer group (mobilizing resources), intergenerational (being concerned for continuity), and spiritual (having a commitment script). Therapeutic guidelines for older women include: using a life story approach to identify the nature (flexible/rigid) of the environments and older women’s adaptive competencies; assessing the different environments (e.g. physical, relational) to determine the focus of intervention; challenging unfair social practices; and supporting older women’s agency and active participation to adapt to ‘unfit’ environments while also being aware of what additional complementary support/protection older women would need to embrace adaptive aging.