Question

While working in a long-term care facility, the nurse notices that older residents take pleasure in telling stories about their earlier lives and reliving special events. The nurse recognizes this helps residents meet what level of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs?

1) Self-esteem
2) Love and belonging
3) Safety
4) Self-actualization

Answer 1

In the context of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the behavior of older residents in a long-term care facility telling stories and reliving past experiences can be associated with the highest level, which is self-actualization.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding the behavior of older residents in a long-term care facility as it relates to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can be assessed by considering what their storytelling might fulfill in terms of psychological and emotional needs. The act of sharing stories and reliving special events is aligned with the higher levels of the pyramid. Specifically, it pertains to self-actualization, which is at the top tier of Maslow's Hierarchy and represents achieving one's full potential and coming to find self-fulfillment.

Self-actualization is a level that individuals strive for after more fundamental needs such as physiological need, safety, love and belonging, and esteem are met. The focus of this behavior suggests older adults are not focused on lower-level needs but are instead expressing higher-level psychological needs. This realization of personal potential and self-fulfillment through storytelling demonstrates a pursuit of the highest level of Maslow's Hierarchy.