h of the loved one, and that this will take a good deal of energy. She also discusses some of the specific problems that will be encountered. She notes: "Family members undergo different stages of adjustment similar to the ones described for our patients." They also experience a stage of denial, a stage of anger, and a phase of preparatory grief.
Age plays a role in the reaction to the death of a spouse, though there is no age at which the loss is not felt keenly by the surviving spouse. The death of a spouse early in life is unexpected and creates particular tensions as a consequence. The death of a spouse at an older age adds to a variety of burdens faced by the elderly, and increased longevity means that while the experience of losing a spouse may be put off longer, it might be thought that it would come at a time of greater vulnerability. The ageing of the American population ha
...