Dying and Bereavement in Older Adults - Videos & Lessons

About This Chapter

Watch video lessons to learn about the processes of dying and bereavement as they're experienced by older adults. Each lesson covers one aspect of this challenging topic and includes an online self-assessment quiz.

Dying and Bereavement in Older Adults - Chapter Summary and Learning Objectives

Losing a loved one can be an earth-shattering experience. Through this series of video lessons, you'll see how death, grieving and bereavement are handled, both by individuals and by various cultures. You'll also gain an understanding of the stages of dying, see how the hospice movement developed and be able to differentiate between mourning and grieving. At the end of the chapter, you should be able to:

Describe the five stages of dying
Recognize normal grief and abnormal grief
Discuss the relationship between the dying and their caregivers
Understand hospice care
Define the idea of dying with dignity

Video	Objective
Life Expectancy and Life Span: Definition & Factors	Explain the concept of life expectancy and talk about what influences that calculation.
Definitions of Death	Identify various kinds of death, including brain, clinical, cortical, psychic and social.
What Are the Stages of Dying? - Overview of Kubler-Ross's 5 Stages	Name the major stages of dying.
Grief and Bereavement: Patterns of Bereavement & Stages of Grief	Outline commonalities in people's experiences of grieving.
Mourning and Grief: A Cross-Cultural Perspective	Describe the difference between mourning and grief; acknowledge how they're both carried out differently, depending on culture.
Normal vs. Abnormal Grief Responses	Name typical and atypical reactions to the loss of a loved one.
Caring for the Dying: Caregiver Roles & Respite Services	Discuss the role of a caregiver and the availability and use of respite care.
The Modern Hospice Movement: History & Effects	Discuss what hospice is and how hospice care came to be, as well as how hospice has brought positive change to healthcare in general.
Dying with Dignity: Definition & Options	Talk about the concept of 'dying with dignity' and outline the options that a terminal patient can take to end his or her life.
Legal Issues Involved in Death & Dying	Understand common legal issues related to the dying process and death, such as patients' right to know.
Death and Dying: Euthanasia Debate and Stages of Acceptance	Recognize multiple perspectives on the issue of euthanasia.
Major End-of-Life Issues: Health Care Legal Planning	Identify and give examples of end-of-life issues like a living will and a healthcare proxy.
Reactions to Death Across the Life Span	Learn about the concept of death anxiety, and how it changes from childhood to adulthood and later, older adulthood.

12 Lessons in Chapter 31: Dying and Bereavement in Older Adults

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1. Life Expectancy and Life Span: Definition & Factors

Everyone wants to live forever, but the truth is that we all have only a limited time to be alive. In this lesson, we'll look at life expectancy and life span, as well as factors that can influence how long a person lives.

2. Definitions of Death

This lesson examines the medical definition and other broad definitions of death. Ideas like cortical, brain and clinical death are explored. We also take a look at psychic and social death.

3. What Are the Stages of Dying? - Overview of Kubler-Ross's 5 Stages

Death, dying and the emotional responses one feels toward these topics are particularly challenging issues to address. Psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross proposed stages of emotional responses to death and dying. This lesson will present those five stages and also discuss common criticisms of Kubler-Ross's theory.

4. Grief and Bereavement: Patterns of Bereavement & Stages of Grief

Death is a term most are familiar with, but the underlying emotions and processes that accompany death are not. This lesson will define and detail the stages of grief and bereavement. In addition, this lesson will differentiate between the grief process of children and adults.

5. Mourning and Grief: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Grief is a normal reaction to losing a loved one, but people mourn their loss in different ways. In this lesson, we'll examine the difference between grief and mourning, as well as how different cultures approach mourning.

6. Uncomplicated vs. Complicated Grief Responses

This lesson examines the different reactions people have to the loss of a loved one. In particular, you'll learn the distinction between complicated and uncomplicated grief and why professional support is sometimes needed.

7. Caring for the Dying: Caregiver Roles & Respite Services

This lesson looks at the role caregivers can play in improving the quality of life of a person who is dying. We will also explore the needs and choices of the person who is in the final stages of their life.

8. The Modern Hospice Movement: History & Effects

The end of life can be a difficult time for people. In this lesson, we'll examine the modern hospice movement, including the holistic approach to dying, the history of the modern hospice movement, and palliative care.

9. Dying with Dignity: Definition & Options

When a person is faced with a terminal illness, they sometimes want to control the timing and way that they die. In this lesson, we'll examine the dying with dignity movement, including physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.

10. Death and Dying: Euthanasia Debate and Stages of Acceptance

The end of one's life can be a difficult time, for both the person dying and their loved ones. In this lesson, we'll explore some end-of-life issues that people face, including the five stages of grief and the controversy surrounding euthanasia.

11. Major End-of-Life Issues: Health Care Legal Planning

As people approach the end of their lives, decisions have to be made. Watch this lesson to find out more about important end-of-life issues, including having a health care proxy, creating a living will, and being an organ donor.

12. Reactions to Death Across the Life Span

In this lesson we will explore the reactions many people have to their impending mortality. In here we take a basic definition of death and examine the anxiety and attitudes people have about death.

Chapter Practice Exam

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Practice Final Exam

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Visit the Gerontology for Teachers: Professional Development page to learn more.

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