'They're Going to Die at Some Point, but We're all Going to Die' - A Qualitative Exploration of Bereavement in Later Life.

Chao Fang,Sam Carr

doi:10.1177/00302228211053058

Abstract

This article reports on a qualitative study to investigate what bereavement means to older people. Drawing upon 80 in-depth interviews collected from eight British and Australian retirement communities, our study revealed that facing bereavement while ageing includes experiences of losing both others and the wholeness of the self. Core themes identified how the experience of losing others can be compounded by ageing-related challenges, undermining older people's defence from bereavement and frustrating their fundamental meaning and being. The older people's dynamic responses were also captured, highlighting the importance of supporting their agency to deal with the deeper pain of loss. By extending the concept of bereavement in later life, we also called for a more grief literate culture to mitigate the multifaceted and often deeper distresses of bereavement that older people may face alongside ageing.

Highlights

Bereavement is a challenging life event that may occur at any point across the lifespan
Four key themes were identified from the analysis, illustrating how bereavement in the context of ageing may be inextricably connected to: (1) losing relational being in everyday lives, (2) decline in defence, (3) deeper pain of losing the self and (4) striving to retain a sense of identity
Theme two captured how ageing-related challenges can undermine the capability to deal with relational loss

Summary

Introduction

Bereavement is a challenging life event that may occur at any point across the lifespan. The confrontation of loss and bereavement is prevalent in later life when people become more likely to experience a myriad of loss, such as that of a partner, siblings, friends and/or other family members (d’Epinay et al, 2003; LekalakalaMokgele, 2018). Such bereavement experiences can be deeply painful in a multitude of ways, as a result of losing relationships that have long shaped their everyday life and identities (Fang, 2020; Richardson, 2014; Larsson et al, 2017). In facing the accumulating loss of resources and coping mechanisms as part of ageing, bereaved people may be further thrust into existential fears of being unable to reaffirm themselves and find a new way of existing in an unfamiliar world (Ettema, et al, 2010; Larsson, et al, 2017)

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Results

Conclusion