Parental Experiences of Adult Child Death from Cancer

Abstract

The conflict of wishing to "parent" a dying adult child while recognizing the child's autonomy creates uncertainty for parents at an already stressful time. Facilitating parent-child communication during the illness is important. After the death of the adult child parents may continue to face difficulty with their perceived role in society (parent and/or bereaved person), and sometimes within their family. Health care professionals should make greater efforts to include the parents of the dying adult in the circle of care. The bereavement experience of these parents is intense and long-lasting. Further research is needed regarding the ways in which health care providers can best assist parents to successfully integrate this profound loss.

Parents’ Experiences of When an Adult Child Is Seriously Ill—“It Does Not Matter That It Is a Grown-Up Person, They Are Still Your Child”

“…Parents must encounter the unfair succession in life that a younger person may die before the older generation does. This parental experience has been described as a terrible experience by Dean et al [14]. and by Smith et al as having a broken heart [3].…”

Development and implementation of a bereavement follow‐up intervention for grieving fathers: an action research

“…2004, McCreight 2004, Säflund et al. 2004, Dean et al. 2005), but also from self‐helps groups, parental groups with similar experiences and from peer supporters (Dent et al.…”

“…1996, Samuelsson et al. 2001, Wood & Milo 2001, Curley & Meyer 2003, McCreight 2004, Dean et al. 2005).…”

“…2001, McCreight 2004, Säflund et al. 2004, Dean et al. 2005) and concrete aid support (Thuen 1997, Samuelsson et al.…”

“…2005) and concrete aid support (Thuen 1997, Samuelsson et al. 2001, Dean et al. 2005) after leaving the hospital.…”