Promoting self-care and daily living skills among older widows and widowers: evidence from the Pathfinders demonstration project

Update Item Information
Publication Type Journal Article
School or College School of Medicine
Department Nursing
Creator Caserta, Michael; Lund, Dale A.
Other Author Obray, Sarah Jane
Title Promoting self-care and daily living skills among older widows and widowers: evidence from the Pathfinders demonstration project
Date 2004-09-01
Description While most bereavement intervention programs for the recently widowed focus primarily on loss and grief issues, few, if any, specifically address ways to engage in necessary self-care activities, to assume new responsibilities that once belonged to their deceased spouse, and to remain socially connected to the larger community. The Pathfinders demonstration project was designed to provide important health and wellness information in a supportive environment where the participants could develop self-care and daily living skills and learn how to access additional community resources to meet their specific needs. This article describes changes in self-care and daily living abilities reported by the Pathfinders participants and ways in which they used what they learned in the classes to achieve health and independence and to meet the daily challenges of widowed life. Eight-four widows and widowers (age 50+) participated in one of five 11-week class sequences. Statistically significant, although incremental improvements over time were reported in active coping, health care participation, household management, home safety, and nutritional self-care skills. Almost all the participants reported applying.
Type Text
Publisher Baywood Publishing Co.
Journal Title OMEGA: The Journal of Death and Dying
Volume 49
Issue 3
First Page 217
Last Page 236
DOI 10.2190/9BH0-N565-Y40G-QDN9
citatation_issn 0030-2228
Subject Older widows; Older widowers; Bereavement intervention; Recently widowed; Daily living skills; Self-care; Pathfinders demonstration project
Subject LCSH Widows; Widowers; Widowhood
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Caserta, M. S., Lund, D. A., & Obray, S. J. (2004). Promoting self-care and daily living skills among older widows and widowers: evidence from the Pathfinders demonstration project. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 49(3), 217-236.
Rights Management (c)Baywood Publishing Company http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/9BH0-N565-Y40G-QDN9
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 174,081 bytes
Identifier ir-main,5093
ARK ark:/87278/s6j681bg
Setname ir_uspace
ID 705443
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6j681bg