Long-Term Care

Coping with death

LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer, August 27, 2009

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer!

When a resident passes away, all of a professional caregiver’s energies go into helping the family and other residents cope with the loss of their loved one. We often forget that caregivers also grieve over the loss of people they care about. Staff members develop relationships and attachments with residents, so when a resident dies, workers may experience grief, even though they do not always recognize it.

It is important for staff members to find some way of coping with the range of emotions and issues that accompany death – whether it is a good cry or a regular grief session with coworkers. Facing suffering, disability, and death day after day at the workplace causes increasing stress and drains the energy of the care provider. Learning how to manage difficult emotions helps staff members in many ways. Their lives are less stressful when they know how to deal with guilt, anger, anxiety, and sadness.



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer!

Most Popular

Related Articles

  • Sleep disorders

    CNA Training Advisor provides newsletter-style inservices containing valuable information and a variety of topics. This...

  • ADLs

    CNA Training Advisor provides newsletter-style inservices containing valuable information and a variety of topics. This...

  • Infection Control

    CNA Training Advisor provides newsletter-style inservices containing valuable information and a variety of topics. This...

  • Trainer’s tip: Always treat the resident with respect

    When offering behavioral treatment, it is important to remember that a resident with UI is not lazy, the individual simply...

  • Empathy is key in November, National Alzheimer’s Awareness month

    Empathy allows us to understand people suffering from dementia. Sometimes their way of expressing themselves comes across as...