Late Adulthood Death and Dying

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying ‘Transitional Older Years’ With increased life expectancy, people may not consider themselves ‘old’ until their late 70’s Age can be considered ‘Transitional Older Years’

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying Period of life including: Retirement Physical and mental decline Dependence on others for caretaking Ending with death

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying Changes on the Individual Retirement May result in isolation or lack of purpose Physical Function Impairment may be restricting Mental Function Impairment may be a burden on others and frustrating to you Depending on Others Can be a burden on your self-worth and a strain on your family Death From a sociological perspective, death is a process, rather than an event Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed a theory outlining five stages of grieving associated with the process of dying Came from studying hundreds of terminally ill patients

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying The Five Stages of Grief Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying The Five Stages of Grief in Late Adulthood Denial - questioning their diagnosis or denying their fate Anger - at the reality of death, hostile toward caretakers or God Bargaining - they want to strike a deal with God or undergo painful or experimental treatments Depression - reality sets in with a sense of powerlessness, often with guilt of leaving family members, particularly spouses, behind Acceptance - the final stage, generally due to emotional exhaustion, not happy acceptance, where a person can put his or her affairs in order and say farewell to family and friends Not all people experience all five stages

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying The Five Stages of Grief in Late Adulthood Denial - questioning their diagnosis or denying their fate Anger - at the reality of death, hostile toward caretakers or God Bargaining - they want to strike a deal with God or undergo painful or experimental treatments Depression - reality sets in with a sense of powerlessness, often with guilt of leaving family members, particularly spouses, behind Acceptance - the final stage, generally due to emotional exhaustion, not happy acceptance, where a person can put his or her affairs in order and say farewell to family and friends Not all people experience all five stages

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying Burial rituals are different in different cultures ‘Sky Burial’ in Mongolia and Tibet

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying Burial rituals are different in different cultures The ‘turning of the bones’ in Madagascar

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying Burial rituals are different in different cultures Ghana fantasy coffins

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying Burial rituals are different in different cultures New Orleans jazz funeral

Late Adulthood - Death and Dying Think About It: From a sociological perspective, what is the function of a funeral? Closure to all stages of life for the individualstages of life Beginning of the grieving process for loved ones

Make the Most of Your Life Live Fully Now - Alan Watts