Essay How the Elderly Cope with the Death of a Spouse

Ever noticed an elderly couple performing normal daily activities and think to yourself, what would they do without one another? Many of us have elderly relatives who are either married or have someone with whom they have a tight bond with, such as a best friend, and we believe they keep each other alive. We are all born to die, but how we cope with death is different. When someone dies, persons affected may feel depressed, sad and even angry. Looking at death from a different perspective, such as a loved one going to a better place, instead of a loss can cause relatives to celebrate. This is usually the case when the cause of death is natural. When death of a spouse is because of a traumatic event, love ones are left with†¦show more content†¦Loneliness can be part of the grieving process in such cases where no one can empathize with you. Loneliness can be prevented by having relatives or friends participate in daily activities such as dinner, shopping, providing ent ertainment, and holding conversations. A lonely person may choose not to eat, bathe and take care of their health because their self worth has diminished. Correspondingly, a person may avoid going out and isolate themselves. Therefore, it is so important to have someone to check on a grieving elderly person. Following the death of a companion, the older adult may suddenly become unhealthy. Elderly widowed people experience a profound degree of loneliness, which has been found to cause an increase in the level of medical care, medications and mortality (Howie Mcintyre, 2002). The health of that adult was most likely maintained by the relationship with the now deceased because they felt they had something to live for. Also, the deceased person could have been providing financial stability to help pay for medication and food. Now that those resources are taken away, the health of the older adult may deteriorate increasing stress levels, which in return can present the onset of many health issues. In addition, when the score (0-76) of ICG is high 6 months after spousal death, theShow MoreRelatedMental And Behavioral Health Services1216 Words   |  5 Pagesphysically and psychologically until death. Lifespan development is the name psychologists have given to the physical and cognitive changes that occur throughout a person’s life and one important issue in the field of Life-Span Development is the topic of the elderly and the struggles that they face. This following issue affects me personally because I see it every day at an acute care hospital where I work. I have observed how their family members treat some of them. 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