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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Leftover lives? perspectives on widowhood | | Author(s) | Alexandra Withnall |
| Journal title | Health Care in Later Life, vol 3, no 3, 1998 |
| Pages | pp 171-182 |
| Keywords | Widows ; Widowers ; Bereavement. |
| Annotation | Bereavement and grief in adult life has been well documented in research, however, there is less literature on the immediate tasks of widowhood. Drawing on a range of both scholarly research and personal accounts it is suggested that widowhood should be redefined to focus not just on bereaved spouses, but also on those who have co-habited and those in same-sex relationships, whose needs are rarely taken into account. The changing role of ritual, attitudes towards grief, and immediate practical problems such as dealing with finances are discussed, as is the role of self-help. It is noted that new methods of communication may change our understanding of what constitutes self-help. Although there is a lack of agreement about the effects of bereavement on health, there may be groups of older people who are particularly at risk. Finally, it is argued that we need to rethink our attitudes towards death and to review our responses towards the widowed, accepting them as fully functioning and competent members of society in their own right. (AKM). |
| Accession Number | CPA-980908402 A |
| Classmark | SP: SPA: DW |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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