Types of loss

Answer

Human Loss during Old Age

            The loss of loved ones is an inevitable aspect of life. As controversial as the preceding statement might appear, it is rightly ingrained on the fact that human beings are fragile creatures whose physical existence and interpersonal bonds are quite limited. A person might exist today only to die the following day due to a broad range of circumstances including illness, accidents, or age. As a matter of fact, some depart from their loved ones under mysterious circumstances such as abduction, unexplained deaths, and murder among others. When reflecting on the issue of interpersonal bonds, it appears fair to argue that human relationships tend to break due to interpersonal conflict, geographic relocation, and/or emotional detachment. Regardless of the circumstance, the loss of a loved one is usually a tragic ordeal. Elderly people in our society are experienced in most if not all aspects of life. This factor implies that they are more likely than their younger counterparts to have experienced different types of losses with respect to human beings (Wysokinski, Fidecki, & Jarosz, 2019). Three of the common types of losses experienced by these individuals include death of a family member, serious illness of a loved one, and/or relationship breakup. Each of the highlighted types of losses has a unique implication on an elderly person’s life, and attitude towards death.

            The death of a family member is one of the most frustrating experience in life. It is an event that leaves the mourner whether life has a meaning at all. Interestingly, most elderly people are likely to have experienced the loss of more than one family members, especially their peers (or older) including brothers, cousins, uncles, aunties, parents, and grandparents among others. Such a reality prevents them from experiencing intensified grief that often triggers suicidal thoughts and life choices among young people who lack understanding of death. When placed into perspective, this kind of loss allows a person to acknowledge the fact that life is a mere journey. Since elderly people can relate to the loss of one or more family members, they tend to maintain a higher level of strength by consoling themselves that it is an inevitable phase in life. After all, most of them have embraced the idea that they too are on a similar path, mainly due to physiological disintegration which occurs during the ageing process.

            Serious illness of a loved one is also another type of loss often experienced by elderly people. In most cases, these incidences are attributable to terminal conditions such as dementia and cancer among others. The type of grieve invoked by this kind of loss as anticipatory: an individual grieves over his/her loved ones due to the belief that they will not be together with time. This scenario is common among elderly couples, where one of them is a victim of terminal illness catalyzed by the ageing process. As with the preceding type of loss, the griever understands that death is an ultimate destination for the loved one, but he/she might feel a sense of guilt for being healthy while the loved one’s life is disintegrating. Such scenarios allow an elderly to appreciate the value of good health, the ageing process, and life in general. They come to an understanding that the anticipated loss is a normal life reality, so they embrace the little time they have to spend together.

            While relationship breakups are not common among elderly people, they occur nonetheless. This kind of loss tends to occur among couples whereby a partner is significantly younger than the other. For instance, an 70-year-old man/woman married to a younger individual within the age range 25-40 is likely to experience this kind of loss due to divorce. This loss is usually characterized by temporary feelings of denial and resentment, until the elderly partner embraces the fact that the separation is probably good for both parties. This kind of loss causes the elderly to perceive death as a journey that is his/hers alone to face, which is quite healthy as he/she prepares for the same.

            At this juncture, it seems wise to state that loss is quite a vague experience that can manifest in many forms. The loss of a person can be caused by a broad range of factors, so it is bound to trigger a variety of feelings. However, one trend that is common among elderly people is acceptance of death as a normal life phase that they too are bound to face in a matter of time.