Bereavement and the elderly: anticipatory grief

The purpose of this study was to determine if the anticipation of the spouse's death would assist in the bereavement process and adaptation to the loss. Those who anticipated the loss were compared to those who did not with regards to the adaptation to the loss at three time periods, 3 weeks and 1 and 2 years after the death of the spouse. The only statistically significant finding was that the spouses who anticipated the death reported less shock at the loss initially and a higher degree of shock at 2 years, reporting more of it than those who did not anticipate the death. Other findings demonstrate a general trend toward gradual improvement over time. Nursing implications of this study were addressed in three areas: research, practice and education.