Bereavement
An older person may grieve due to a decline in physical, mental or cognitive health. It is also important to acknowledge that a resident’s family members might start to grieve before their death. Healthdirect has a webpage on understanding anticipatory grief. CareSearch provides an overview about abnormal grief. The Agency for Clinical Innovation has an educational video on bereavement. PalliAGED offers a variety of resources to learn more about grief, loss and bereavement. There are links to a guide for assessing bereavement and support, and a tool to distinguish between depression and grief.
What is Prolonged Grief Disorder?
“Intense and persistent symptoms of distress following the death of a family member or friend. Significant mental and physical health problems may be present, for example, insomnia, depression, cardiac problems, substance misuse, cancer, suicide, depressed immune function and work and social impairment. Also known as complicated grief.”3(p37)