GERO 14029 Lecture 19: Coping with loss

• School: Kent State University
• Department: Gerontology
• Course: GERO 14029
• Professor: kelly

Document Summary

Bereavement and the context of loss: adjustment related to, age, gender, and health status, anticipated vs. sudden and expected, adequacy of social support and coping resources, quality of the martial relationship before death. Gender differences: men and women react differently. It depends on the outcome that we are measuring. Widowers (men: higher risk of illness or death following loss. Loss of primary confidante, their spouse: unprepared to live life alone (ex. struggle with household tasks) Isolated; less likely to take or attend support groups or social groups. Widowers (women: anticipated, normative life course transition, widows suffer financial losses. Increased risk of lowered standard of living, poverty. Resources: extensive social support network: buffer from negative effects of widowhood, benefit from having friends vs only adult children. Common experience of loss, regardless of martial staus or sexual orientation: may experience disenfranchised grief, where right to grieve is unacknowledged, need same support; development of support groups.