McDaniel J Goodlett, Clark Paul G
College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA.
J Gerontol Nurs. 2009 Dec;35(12):44-9. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20090930-02. Epub 2009 Dec 11.
The death of the last parent has a profound effect on survivors. Health care workers are often the first source of anticipatory guidance for newly orphaned adults as they cope with grief, loss, and awareness that their lives are forever changed. It is estimated that more than 80 million Americans were born between 1946 and 1964. As this Baby Boomer generation, often defined as seeing themselves as culturally special, becomes "orphaned," they may be less aware, less prepared, and less supported than any previous group of Americans regarding this life event. For a number of adults, the loss creates many unexpected results that can destabilize life in profound ways. This article describes the unique new realities of helping adult orphans as they relate to health care providers and discusses the problems associated with prolonged and complicated grief. Implications for geriatric caregivers, mental health providers, health educators, and others are proposed.
父母中最后一位的离世会对幸存者产生深远影响。医护人员常常是新成为孤儿的成年人在应对悲痛、失落以及意识到自己的生活已永远改变时，预先指导的首要来源。据估计，在1946年至1964年间出生的美国人超过8000万。随着这一代常将自己视为具有文化特殊性的婴儿潮一代逐渐成为“孤儿”，在面对这一人生事件时，他们可能比以往任何一代美国人都更缺乏认知、准备不足且得不到足够的支持。对于许多成年人来说，这种丧失会带来许多意想不到的后果，这些后果可能会以深刻的方式扰乱生活。本文描述了帮助成年孤儿与医护人员相关的独特新现实，并讨论了与长期复杂悲痛相关的问题。文中还提出了对老年护理人员、心理健康服务提供者、健康教育工作者及其他人员的启示。
