Interview Reflection Paper: Azurmendi 1

Date of Interview: March 29th 2014 Name of Interviewee: Social Worker with Hospice Organization Affiliation: Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) , Agape Hospice Name of Interviewer: Ashley Azurmendi Introduction A LMSW with Agape Hospice provides psychosocial services to clients receiving hospice care. The social worker I spoke with deals primarily with the older adult population. She told me that in older adults she has noticed symptoms of PTSD, but rarely are her clients open to discussing that possibility and rarer still that they have been diagnosed. She told me that she has had one patient whose husband had been diagnosed with PTSD, and over the course of the year that she spent with this couple the husband opened up to her in counseling. He had been diagnosed as an afterthought at the Veterans Affairs office when he went in for a unrelated health concern not long before his wife came under hospice care. The couple had been married for 58 years and every time the social worker spoke to him about his wifes death he would inevitably begin talking about the time he spent in Europe during WWII. Through reminiscence therapy, the husband was able to go back and tell the social worker about two specific events from WWII and the impact they had on him. The social worker stated that the husband could not cope with the idea of his wifes death until he had dealt with the previous trauma the deaths in WWII had inflicted upon him. He had gone his entire life, to that point, and never told anyone what he eventually disclosed to the social worker. He had been described as cold and mean by some of the other hospice workers and the social worker believed that he had gone through life being perceived that way due to his untreated PTSD. The social worker was able to connect the

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husband with social organizations that catered to veterans and she said that his entire demeanor changed after that. Analyze During the course of this project, I learned so much about trauma and PTSD that I had been unaware of. I learned that trauma resulting in PTSD is more likely to occur in young and middle adulthood, but that the consequences can be physically more severe in older adulthood. An older adult is less likely to receive diagnosis and treatment for PTSD. Trauma resulting in PTSD that occurs later in life is usually associated with better outcomes though, if treated properly that trauma that results in PTSD during young adulthood. One of the explanations offered for this is that as we age we build better coping skills that can allow an older adult to bounce back quicker that their younger counterparts in terms of their mental condition. Research also suggested that older adults may have better support systems in place that enables them to recover from PTSD sooner. Useful Information I found the information on how to identify a client who may be suffering from PTSD particularly useful. Having a better understanding of the triad of PTSD symptoms, HyperArousal, Re-experiencing and Avoidance and how they are likely to manifest in different developmental stages is knowledge that I hope to carry with me into practice. Younger adults are more likely to experience intense Hyper-Arousal symptoms while older adults are more likely to experience Avoidance symptoms. Personal Experience Impact

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I had a very difficult time emotionally with this topic. I had a day that reading the research was in and of itself traumatic for me. I found hearing about the traumatic events that others experienced and the negative outcomes associated with PTSD to be discouraging. After conducting the interview I changed my mind a bit. The social worker was so positive and uplifting as she spoke of the mans PTSD and of his recovery. She was able to give the PTSD sufferer the relief that he had been searching for his entire life; knowing that it possible reignites the fire within to help clients who have experienced traumatic events. Future Social Work I believe that this project may have been the most productive learning experience I have had to date. I learned about a variety of traumatic events and how they are treated throughout the entire lifespan. I believe that going forward I can carry this knowledge with me into the field as I work towards positive change in the lives of my clients. Conclusion Post-traumatic Stress Disorder can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic class or race. Anyone who has experienced a traumatic event can develop PTSD. During young adulthood, people are more likely to experience an event that results in PTSD. In young and middle adulthood a client is more likely to be afflicted by Re-experiencing and Hyper arousal symptoms. Older adults often go undiagnosed and experience more Avoidant symptoms. Older adults are also more likely to experience worsening physical health challenges. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn about trauma and PTSD this semester. I look forward to using the research and the information shared with me in my interview to make me a better social worker.