The Dictionary of Social Work roughly defines middle adulthood as the period between forty-five and sixty-four years of age. There are four main tasks in this stage. They include meeting intimacy and family needs, satisfying achievement needs, taking care of elderly parents, and coping with end of life issues. Erikson identifies the need for achievement during midlife, which fits into his stage of generativity vs. stagnation. Success in adulthood is defined by feelings of connectedness and the ability to take care of others. Generativity is the satisfaction resulting from positive relationships with family and friends and the idea of leaving a heritage behind. Stagnation, on the other hand results from failing to accomplish earlier developmental tasks. Our text also points to the term "sandwich generation". These individuals are under the pressure of the needs of their own maturing childre
Adulthood is the longest stage of development in human life. It is usually the time of greatest productiveness and fulfillment. Lynn has successfully achieved three of the four major tasks of development: she has met intimacy needs, family needs, and satisfying achievement needs. She is beginning the process of coping with end of life issues as she confronts her father's death. Lynn is well prepared for Erikson's last stage of the lifecycle: integrity vs. despair and she will certainly face her life choices with much integrity.
Lynn is definitely a part of the characteristic sandwich generation. She has one brother but finds herself completely responsible for her home bound parents. Because her father has Alzheimer's disease and stroke dementia, she is responsible for the entire coordination of his treatment. This causes her considerable stress as it conjures up old emotional tensions.<
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