End of Life Care

Grief is an acknowledgement that we loved someone, and the nature of our relationship with that person determines how we grieve. Grief is an exclusive process; one that is as different as the person experiencing it is. As Hospice volunteers we must respect each person’s individual grieving practices and refuse to give in to the temptation to advise others to follow our exact paths. Although those of us who have also experienced such loss can sympathize with other’s feelings, we must be attentive to the fact that they are mourning the loss of a relationship that was exclusively theirs. As Hospice volunteers, we must consider this exclusivity and abstain from persisting that the grieving person grieve any way other than what is best for them. Keeping that in mind, I have information that can help you understand the grieving processes at various stages in life. Through this understanding, you will be able to assist family members and loved ones, as well as your dying patient to achieve a more peaceful death.

Let us first look at adults and grieving. Here the relationship with the decedent is a primary factor in the grieving process. When parents experience the loss of a child, it is considered the “most difficult of deaths” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 492). The cycle of life dictates that the older shall die first. When this cycle is broken with the death of a child, adults are not prepared for the death. The hope for the future is threaten within the family, and thoughts of what should have been, what will be missed linger. Mothers will talk more about the death while Fathers will keep busy with tasks in an attempt to avoid expressing their feelings (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 492). There may be marital discord as w...

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... to deliver a more customized end of life care. There are no right ways or wrong ways to deal with grief and death, however through compassion, caring, and understanding, there are ways to assist those involved in achieving grief resolution.

Works Cited

Bougere, M. H. (n.d.). Culture, Grief and Bereavement: Applications for Clinical Practice. Retrieved from Minority Nurse: http://www.minoritynurse.com/culture-grief-and-bereavement-applications-clinical-practice

Leming, M.R. & Dickinson, G.E. (2011). Understanding dying, death, and bereavement (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

The Jason Program. (n.d.). The Grief Process at Different Ages. Retrieved from Partnership for Parents: http://www.partnershipforparents.org/guide/?itemid=10

P.G.White. (2009). Loss of an Adult Sibling. Retrieved from The Sibling Connection: http://counselingstlouis.net/page22.html