Midlife and older couples

1
Mid-life and older couples
2
Music
3
Myths about old people

• Most old people are poor
• They lose their sex drive
• They are lonely
• They are isolated from younger family members
• They are sick

4
Myths about old people

• They become senile
• They end up in nursing homes
• Retirement is a downhill time when people lose
  their self-esteem and live in their memories

5
Defining middle age

• Middle years are the time when you begin to think
  about how many years you have left, rather than
  how many youve already lived.
  (Bernice Neugerten)

6
Defining middle age

• Families with teenagers
• Families launching young adults
• Middle - aged parents

7
Families with Teenagers

• Oldest child 13 - 20
• Developmental tasks
• Balancing freedom with responsibility.
• Establishing post-parental interests and careers.

8
Families launching young adults

• First child gone to last child gone
• Developmental tasks
• Releasing young adults with appropriate rituals
  and assistance.
• Maintaining a supportive home base.

9
Middle - aged parents

• Empty nest to retirement
• Developmental tasks
• Rebuilding the marriage relationship.
• Maintaining kin ties with older and younger
  generations.

10
Evelyn Duvalls life cycle

• empty nest or spacious nest?
• 27 of 18-34 yr. olds in this country are living
  with their parents
• due to decreasing wages and increasing
  unemployment

11
Sexuality declines

• menopause
• male menopause
• For committed couples

12
Marriage tends to improve

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Establish priorities early in marriage
• spouse at top of list
• Watch for warning signs
• Strive for equality
• Balance togetherness and personal growth

13
Recommendations

• Establish a friendship network of couples
  concerned about maintaining quality marriages
• ACME
• Evaluate the marriage

14
ACME

• The Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment

15
ACME

• Mission

16
Activities include

• weekend retreats
• enrichment groups
• skills-learning classes
• workshops
• conferences
• seminars
• international conferences

17
ACME

• 502 N. Broad Street
  P.O. Box 10596
  Winston - Salem, NC 27108
  1-800-634-8325
  www.dynetx.com/acme.htm

18
Sandwich generation

• video