Death Flashcards
(48 cards)
What is important to remember in a child experiencing death
Developmental state
Infants developmental needs consideration if they are below 6 months of age
Past 6 months?
Infants just want their needs met so less significant if death of parent occurs
After 6 months, they will care about their usual caregiver being gone
Toddlers losing a parent
They will pick up on their routine being changed and will not like it
- so give them routine
Preschool losing a parent
what is a risk with this age
They will pick up on what is going on, can somewhat understand death but not permanence
Very curious
They can think they caused the death
And they are very literal os don’t tell them they person is resting or in peace
- fear of sleeping
school aged child’s understanding of death
They understand and know it is permanent.
So be honest and help them understand without upsetting them
Adolescent concept of death
How do they cope?
Mature understanding for most part
Can feel guilt for not being on good terms or influencing the outcome
They suffer the most with death out of pediatrics
How will infant and toddlers act
how to handle it
irritable and sad
regression
Structure is important
Be one on one with them
Make sure they know they’re loved
How will Preschoolers act
how to handle
Can be inappropriate with death and what they say
Be patient with them Use appropriate language with them Help them verbalize their feelings - drawing, coloring, play Help them remember the person
School aged child will act with death
how to handle
- communication
- expression
- needs
- involvement
Want to know exactly what happened
Acts out
Somatic complaints - abdominal pain, head ache, not feeling good
Talk openly and be honest Let them talk Drawing , writing Individual time Planning service involvement
Adolescent acting out
How to handle
- communication
- privacy
- expression
risky behaviors
depression
anger
decreased school performance
Talk openly
Let them talk with friends
Provide privacy
Journaling, music, poetry
What age of children can understand they are dying
how do we handle this for them
Privacy
school aged and adolescent kids
be honest with them about their death but let it be gradual
Let them pick who knows what
and we need to respect this
Preschool aged dying child
should we tell them
They may not ask but they can pick up on parents emotions
School aged children dying child
should we tell them
Well they’ll start to understand and may make comments that are trying to instigate the truth
- will i be able to go to baseball camp etc
Adolescent reaction to dying
- test
- humor
- emotions
- decision
- peers
They will test you and see what you know
or they can be accepting. Just depends
Can have a dark humor
Bitter and angry emotions
Adolescent may want to be in control and not carry on
can pull away from peers
End of life planning with peds
The kids wanna plan too so don’t leave them out of it
What may a kid want for their death
May want to get things off their chest
May want things with them
And will want their service to be their own
Why do both parent and child need to be on the same page
Bc they need to respect the childs wishes
Sleep habits of dying child
They sleep more
- can even be where you can’t wake them
Eating habits of dying child
Not hungry
- don’t force the kid to eat
Urine of dying child
Urine more concentrated
temp of dying child
body temp can fluctuate. Can be cold of hands and feet but trunk is warm
swallowing of dying child
difficulty swallowing
speech of dying child
slurred
urinary and bowel habits of dying child
they lose control so may need more help
