Death and dying: elderly persons’ experiences of grief over the loss of family members

Abstract

Background: Death is one of life's few certainties and a universal experience for all individuals. When death occurs there is usually an impact on the family and friends of the deceased, the magnitude of which often depends on whether death was expected or unexpected. The grieving experiences of the elderly are rarely discussed. The purpose of this study was to describe experiences of grief and reactions to the death of family members amongst the elderly. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to obtain data from elderly women in Ga-Rankuwa, Gauteng, to gain insight into the experiences of grief in this age group. Purposive sampling was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 10 elderly women whose family members had died. The data were analysed using a thematic approach. Results: The findings show that the elderly were exposed to multiple deaths of family members. The participants helplessly experienced with sorrow the death of family members, had experienced death anxiety, and relinquished control to God in terms of deaths. Conclusions: The response to death of the elderly affirms that it cannot be assumed that multiple death experiences establish their readiness or ability to handle these experiences and to grieve successfully. It can be concluded that the grieving process of the elderly is not different from any other age group and that they will also require the type of support and assistance considered for younger persons in times of grieving.

The meaning of losing a child in older adults: a qualitative study

“…The results of a study in South Africa also described the experiences of grief in old women after losing family members. The themes obtained in this study were being exposed to the loss of a large number of family members, the sadness of watching one's death, being anxious about the imminent loss of other family members, prioritizing the feelings of family members, and spiritual and religious issues [16]. The results of another study showed in the experiences of parents a tension between meaninglessness and meaning in losing a child [12].…”

“…Being successful in divine trial and having hope for God's reward were important motivations for enduring the hardships of losing a child and continuing to live. In the study of Lekalakala-Mokgele et al (2018), spiritual and religious issues played an important role in the adaptation of old women to the loss of their family members [16]. But, according to another study, there was no significant relationship between spirituality, resilience, and adaptation after major psychological trauma [33].…”

“…They were so sad after losing their child that they did not feel any inner joy after that. It was found in a study that among the deaths of family members, losing an adult child is the most tragic event for an older adult [16]. In the study of Berrett-Abebe et al [28], "the experience of a sad life" was one of the themes obtained from mothers whose child had died because of cancer.…”

‘They’re Going to Die at Some Point, but We’re all Going to Die’ – A Qualitative Exploration of Bereavement in Later Life

“…As demonstrated in our analysis, losing others and especially long-term intimate relationships could shatter the older people's taken-for-granted lives and relational being in marital, social, emotional and physical (even sexual) aspects of their ageing lives (e.g. d 'Epinay et al, 2003;Lekalakala-Mokgele, 2018;Richardson, 2014). Meanwhile, we also captured their resilient responses to reaffirming/ reconstructing a world of meaning from significant loss alongside other ageingrelated challenges (Neimeyer & Holland, 2015).…”

Pharmacy Technicians’ Perception About Symptoms and Concerns of Older Patients Visiting Pharmacies: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Even though it is not obvious, older patients need as much support in coping with mourning as younger patients do. 45 This is especially important because mourning also triggers the onset of physical and mental health problems, and can, therefore, have a negative effect on medication adherence. 46 In order to better address those patients’ needs in the pharmacy consultation process, all pharmaceutical staff should be qualified in basic palliative care concepts.…”