Diversity of Grieving
Learning that a loved one has a deteriorating mental condition is nothing short of heartbreaking. This can mean many things, most often a hard road ahead. The realization that your loved one is facing an illness that will eventually claim their life is a very different situation than a sudden death. Often, the grieving process begins with the loss of a loved one’s mind, long before they die a physical death. This sort of drawn out grief has many different effects on people. Exactly how we grieve, and how our grieving related to others in similar situations is a very interesting subject to explore.
There has been a considerable amount of research done on how responses vary by gender of the caregiver, and the biological/emotional relationship to those in care. There is much less information out there on the varying response trends inside ethnic groups. There are so many factors to be considered, as there are so many unique situations out there. Social and cultural responses definitely play a part, as well as individual relationships and situations. This article takes a look at different racial and socioeconomic groups and examines responses in Alzheimer’s caregivers, and ties it into previously known information/trends.
The findings could point to improvements in support services for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients. "For those caring for a family member with Alzheimer's, the process of bereavement often begins long before the family member's physical death," McNally said.
"These results bring into sharper focus some distinct social and cultural responses to the bereavement process, and help increase our understanding of the emotional costs of Alzheimer's. This understanding can help to inform and improve culturally competent resources to help caregivers not only throughout all stages of their loved one's illness, but also in finding a healthy resolution to grieving."
Considerable research has looked at how responses to deaths from Alzheimer's vary by gender of the caregiver and relationship to the care receiver, but less work has looked at differences between ethnic groups. McNally's research examined data from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) project lead by Richard Schulz of the University of Pittsburgh's Institute on Aging.
Sodalis Elder Care Facilities in Texas. Assisted Living in Texas where our aging friends are cared for with tenderness and compassion.
