Abstract
As described by Erikson et al, Vital Involvement (VI) constitutes both an individual’s meaningful engagement with the environment outside the self, and the essential dynamic that catalyzes an entire life cycle of psychosocial development. VI in old age has been characterized by five additional principles: Optimizing personal and environmental supports Person-environment reciprocity Adding value Engaging personal values Experience-based perspective Through the long-term study of in-depth life-history interviews with elders identified by their peers as “Elder Role Models” (ERM’s), we have created a model describing the cyclical connections among VI, personal values and other characteristics, and life strategies. This presentation discusses one such ERM whose life while in a nursing home clearly illustrates the connections among personal values, strategies, and VI in realizing a life of purpose.