A+-+INTERVIEW+QUESTIONS+FOR+ELDERLY+RESIDENTS

NAME (FIRST ONLY) AGE
 * 1) **What is happiness?**
 * 2) Bill (78) A state of mind that puts you in a good mood. You feel comfortable with yourself and your surroundings.
 * 3) Rosemary (70) It is what you make it; when you take a lemon and make lemonade. Good health, good relationships, and being satisfied with one's place in life are all big contributors.
 * 4) Audrey (81) "Happiness can be a lot of things." Feeling good, or it doesn't even have to be anything.
 * 5) Bill (80) A sense of security, self-confidence and enjoying what you're doing everyday.
 * 6) MaryAnne (72) "To be content with yourself, to be able to live with yourself"
 * 7) Jean (80) "It's all in your attitude"
 * 8) Sherrie (78) "Well, there's contentment, which is a very good place to be. But when you say happiness, you add another level. There is excitement to happiness."
 * 9) **What makes you happy?**
 * 10) Bill (78) Being in good health, being surrounded by family and friends, being financially stable, doing things that are enjoyable
 * 11) Rosemary (70) Achieving goals, good health, friends and family succeeding, and trying to make things better for others.
 * 12) Audrey (81) A lot of things; people, places, children, the weather. Driving around the country, seeing scenery. Just feeling good makes me happy.
 * 13) Bill (80) Good food, getting out, going to the city, meeting friends, seeing the Philidelpia orchestra, interacting with people, volunteer work and gardening.
 * 14) MaryAnne (72) "I am a caregiver, I have a love of people. I volunteer here at the Alzheimer's unit every Tuesday, it is my joy of the week"
 * 15) Jean (80) "Everything; it's just the way you look at things"
 * 16) Sherrie (78) "Being with family, success in any endeavor, and appreciation for everything masonic does."
 * 17) **Who makes you happy?**
 * 18) Bill (78) Family, friends, people that surround you/ are around you/ associates and good entertainers
 * 19) Rosemary (70) My dog, kids, grandkids, and the supportive people at Masonic Homes.
 * 20) Audrey (81) Children, friends, family, also being at gatherings, parties, weddings. Seeing other people enjoy themselves makes me happy.
 * 21) Bill (80) friends mostly, and family (great nephews and nieces)
 * 22) MaryAnne (72) "The people I surround myself with, my children."
 * 23) Jean (80) "Nobody in particular. You need to make yourself happy."
 * 24) Sherrie (78) "People I care about, friends and family."
 * 25) **Do you realize that you are happy when you are happy?**
 * 26) Bill (78) Definitely
 * 27) Rosemary(70) Yes. I have my hills and valleys, and I also know when I'm miserable from the people around me. The wrong things make me upset.
 * 28) Audrey (81) Yes, I think I do.
 * 29) Bill (80) Yes.
 * 30) MaryAnne (72) "There are always unhappy times, we are in charge of our own ship, and wherever we steer the ship. We can't blame anyone else"
 * 31) Jean (80) "Yes, because it's all attitude"
 * 32) Sherrie (78) "I usually know it. I'm contented most of the time. I'm in good health. But when I'm really happy I know it I get a special feeling that comes over me like a wave, and I think 'gee, I'm really happy.'"
 * 33) **When you are sad, what do you do to get happy?**
 * 34) Bill (78) "Give it time and things will get better"
 * 35) Rosemary (70) Sometimes I just sulk it out. I often will read and listen to music to clear my mind. Changing the situation into something else helps.
 * 36) Audrey (81) "That is a HARD one!" I have had hard times, but time heals, you get over things as time goes by.
 * 37) Bill (80) Either endure it or get out of the situation and remove the source of sadness.
 * 38) MaryAnne (72) "I try to occupy myself. I get out my scrabble Cd and play one level above what I can do"
 * 39) Jean (80) "Go home, read, play freecell, and just take my mind off of things."
 * 40) Sherrie (78) "I play the piano. Not well. But I close the door, play the piano and hope that no one hears me. There is a very soothing effect to playing music."
 * 41) **Is happiness a choice? Why?**
 * 42) Bill (78) No, it is a frame of mind. You can't control your environment and situations. Environment dictates happiness.
 * 43) Rosemary (70) Yes, but not a lot of people realize it. A lot of people look to outside things instead (which is good if it works for them). People need to learn that you can create and reinforce your own happiness.
 * 44) Audrey (81) "That's a good question!" "We all like to be happy, but I don't know that I specifically choose." "I'd like to be happy all the time, but it's not a choice."
 * 45) Bill (80) I think so. One's attitude determines how you feel in a situation.
 * 46) MaryAnne (72) "Definitely, we are all masters of our own ships. If you are unhappy, make a change. You are the only person who can get yourself out of it.
 * 47) Jean (80) "Without a doubt"
 * 48) Sherrie (78) Yes. It is a personal choice. There are these 'gloomy gusses,' some people who seem to get their jellies or pleasure out of complaining."
 * 49) **(Children) What do happy people do? (Take Video) (Can you show me?)** **(Elderly) Can you describe an event in your life when you were very happy?**
 * 50) Bill (78) When his children were born. Member of state championship football team. Graduating from college. Retiring from teaching for 39 years. Being married for 52 years.
 * 51) Rosemary (70) When her children were born. See video for recent event.
 * 52) Audrey (81) Getting married. My four sons. "I usually like to look on the bright side." Finding out that even having a certain illness, I would be "ok." "Just enjoying the things that happen ater a main event."
 * 53) Bill (80) When I got my first real job at the PA railroad after school. When i was 17 men from the company came to the school when I was reading a book about the history of railroads. The one man was suprised that I was reading it and gave he gave me his card and told me to call him after I got out of school. When i did he gave me a job and it was one of the happiest moment in my life. I also had a lot of fun times at a co-ed house in New Jersey that i rented with friends over the summer.
 * 54) MaryAnne (72) "Well, the day i got married, the birth of my children, and that I could be with my husband when he passed, as weird as that sounds, it was nice to be there for him."
 * 55) Jean (80) See Video
 * 56) Sherrie (78) Video
 * 57) **What have you learned from that about happiness and how to obtain it?**
 * 58) Bill (78) You have to have confidence like his story about the guy and the escalator.
 * 59) Rosemary (70) See video.
 * 60) Audrey (81) "It made me feel good that I could do things to make others happy." (Easter Bunny story on video.) Volunteering.
 * 61) Bill (80) Can be partially controlled and don't stay in unhappy situations.
 * 62) MaryAnne (72) See video
 * 63) Jean (80) See Video
 * 64) Sherrie (78) See Video
 * 65) **(How happy are you?) Rate your happiness (show pictures) - (Why did you choose that?)**
 * 66) Bill (78) Content - Satisfied with life because he lives at the Masonic Village.
 * 67) Rosemary (70) - Content and satisfied with life. She is very happy for herself, but she picked this response because her husband is in poor health.
 * 68) Audrey (81) Very Happy ( She added, "I am happy because I am with you.)
 * 69) Bill (80) Very Happy. (added that this is a great place to live and grow old)
 * 70) MaryAnne (72) Very Happy (with a smile)
 * 71) Jean (80) "Content, for I have had many trials, but I keep my head up"
 * 72) Sherrie (78) 1. Very Happy
 * 73) **How are you going to try to be happy today?**
 * 74) Bill (78) Do what he wants.
 * 75) Rosemary (70) Learn to be happy adjusting to a new diet.
 * 76) Audrey (81) "I am not going to try to be happy; I'm happy right now!"
 * 77) Bill (80) Going to Penn State Alumni Group meeting and then to Philidelphia for the weekend.
 * 78) MaryAnne (72) "Oh well, that's easy. We have a bowling club on campus, I put the little teams together each week. I started bowling at about 40 points, but last week i had four strikes in a row! I am a very happy person. You have to make your own happiness, it is not going to knock on your door"
 * 79) Jean (80) "I'm going to go get breakfest, go for my daily walk, and keep a smile on my face."
 * 80) Sherrie (78) "After this interview, I'm going to go bowling. I'm not very good but I'll have fun trying."