Loss, Death, and Grief Flashcards
Actual Loss
Occurs when a person can no longer feel, hear, see, or know a person or object. Ex: loss of a body part, death of a family member, or loss of a job.
Perceived Loss
uniquely defined by the person experiencing the loss and is less obvious to other people. Ex: some people perceive rejection by a friend to be a loss
Grief
individualized response to a loss that is perceived, real, or anticipated by the person experiencing loss.
Normal grief
common and universal reaction characterized by complex emotional cognitive, social, physical, behavioral, and spiritual responses to loss and death. normal feelings: disbelief, yearning, anger, depression
Anticipatory grief
before the actual loss or death occurs, especially in situations of prolonged or predicted loss. such as family members caring for patients with dementia or ALS. Family member often grieve the impending death of a loved one.
Complicated grief
prolonged or significantly difficult time moving forward after a loss. They experience a chronic and disruptive yearning for the deceased; have trouble accepting the death and trusting others; and or feel excessively bitter, emotionally numb, or anxious about the future.
Kubler-Ross stages of dying (1969)
-Denial
-Anger
-Bargaining
-Depression
-Acceptance
Bowlby attachment theory (1980)
-Numbing
-Yearning and Searching
-Disorganization and despair
-Reorganization
Worden grief tasks model (2008)
-Accepts the reality of the loss
-Experiences the pain of grief
-Adjusts to a world in which the deceased is missing
-Emotionally relocates the deceased and moves on with life
Factors influencing loss and grief
-human development
-personal relationships
-nature of the loss
-coping strategies
-socioeconomic status
-culture and ethnicity
-spiritual and religious beliefs
Tasks of grief
-to accept the reality of the loss
-to work through the pain and grief
-to adjust to an environment in which the deceased is missing
-to emotionally relocate the deceased and move on with life
Ambiguous Loss Type 1
The loved one who is psychologically present but physically absent such as missing soldiers and kidnapped children
Ambiguous Loss Type 2
A person is physically present but psychologically absent such as persons with addictions and other mental disorders, dementia, or head trauma
Palliative care
focuses on the prevention, relief, reduction, or soothing symptoms of disease or disorders throughout the entire course of an illness.
Hospice care
focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end of life.
