title: To die young, to die old management of terminal illness at age 20 and at age 85: case reports. Death and dying in an 85-year-old woman.
abstract: In conclusion, preparing for death is a developmental task. Whether faced with acute illness or old age, the inevitability of death comprises part of the mental life of all of us. As with all other developmental tasks, the quality of mastery depends on mastery of earlier developmental tasks and the related adaptive capacities of the ego. Mrs. F. had the good fortune of family support, concrete help in the household, and casework treatment that many of the aged do not have. However, past experiences, coupled with an ability to work out problems and to utilize available external resources, helped her to work through feelings about her own impending death.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003379:Countertransference; D003643:Death; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric; D013727:Terminal Care