Case Study 5: At 100, Still Running For Her Life

Nelisa Poythress
November 4, 2016
Part 1: Concise summary of study:
This study discusses a woman name Ida Keeling. She is not only a phenomenal women, activist,
single mom, and optimist, but she is also considered what scientists would call a centenarian. Ida
Keeling is 100 years young and describes her longevity of life and why she can be so optimistic
about it. She explains her love for running and how it helps her to overcome many of the adverse
experiences she has faced within her lifetime and also offers a way for her to relieve stress, and
to let go of many negative feelings of discouragement. Ida Keelings story is fit for the topic of
resilience.
Part 2: Theoretical foundations used
Theoretical Foundations used include ones from the article Resilience in Response to Loss by
Kathrin Boerner and Daniela Jopp. They discuss some of the theories from by Sigmund Freud
and Steven Hofoll who discuss losing someone and how this relates to resilience. The authors
discuss how loss represents a challenging part of human development (Boerner, 126). However
some people respond to losing someone in a strikingly positive way. The theories around
resilience state that resilience is a more common response after someone has lost someone.
Sigmund Freud is alluded to in this article as he offers a stance on the effects of resilience in later
adulthood. Freud says that the psychological function of grief is healthy adjustment to loss,
which requires a certain amount of emotional turmoil. Steven Hofoll describes something called
the conservation of resources which is the resources valued by individuals and triggers stress
reactions that limit losses by mobilizing remaining resources (Boerner, 126).

Part 3: Developmental influences in case study

Risk Factors: Centenarians have several risks:

Worsening health and the onset of disease

Bereavement due to loss of close ones

Chronic or acute adversity encountered previously in life

Loss of participation in daily activities

Exposure to catastrophic events and disasters

Individual Risk Factors:

Ida Keeling has several risk factors:

Loses both of her sons to domestic violence

Suffers from the Great Depression with her mother and family at a young age

Loses her spouse to a heart attack in her 40s and is left to raise 4 children on her own

Falls into depression in her 60s after losing her two sons

Microsystem Risk Factors:

Loss of more than one family member which reduces the amount of support systems that

she has to overcome her losses

Mesosystem/Macrosystem Risk Factors:

Societal standards for a person in Idas age group (many people expect her to be

immobile, helpless, etc.)

Protective Factors:

Individuals in later adulthood have high emotional regulation skills

Resilient personalities

Sense of Purpose

Good health/ cognitive status

Individual Protective Factors:

Ida Keeling becomes an athlete that races around the world

She holds the fastest record for women ages 95-99 in 60 meter dash

Becomes an activist during the 1960s to fight for injustice that exists during her time

period

She falls into depression bur uses her love for running as a coping mechanism

She explains that she is very self-sufficient and thats why she is able to live so long

Microsystem: Idas daughter helps to train her to become a competitive runner again and acts as
her primary social network of support
Mesosystem/ Macrosystem Protective Factors:
Her strong connection to her community, being an activist during the 1960s and ability to fight
for a larger cause are embedded in her culture. Ida Keelings resilient personality has help her to
overcome many adverse experiences in her life.
Developmental Considerations:

Competence in Later Life: -

Adapting to losses

Prioritizing personally meaningful relationships

Role of Positive Emotions: Individuals in later adulthood have more resilient

personalities, sustained positive emotions and greater adaptation to stress

Part 4: Concise reflection on supports/ Programs/ to implement positive outcomes:
The supports present in Ida Keelings story start with her understanding of life as positive. This
ultimately helps her to live long and happily. Ida explains gives a few words of wisdom and says

do the things you dont like to do first and get rid of it and this shows her understanding of
sustained long emotions (Remnick, 2016). Overtime, Ida faces several adverse experiences and
finds that she is beginning to lose her interest in living. However, she things in which make her
the most happy which includes running. Ida explains running as her way of letting go of life and
relaxing and says that it gave her the most motivation to push through. On top of her passion for
running, Ida, has a strong support system. She has her daughter who helps to support her through
hard times, as well as push her to keep going which helps to make her more self-sufficient. These
traits are things that make the most positive outcomes for individuals and more resilient. The key
factors of resilient outcomes include strong support systems such as family members who are
encouraging and motivational, and an individuals initiative to say positive and to find things that
them motivated.