title: Caregiving, bereavement and complicated grief.
abstract: Most deaths are preceded by chronic illness and disability and the provision of support by family caregivers. The purpose of this article is to describe how the caregiving experience affects bereavement, with an emphasis on the relationship between challenging caregiving situations and difficult grieving processes - often referred to as `complicated grief'. The article starts with a brief summary of the general literature on caregiving and bereavement. It then defines complicated grief and discusses why some caregivers may struggle with the death of their loved one. Finally, it offers practical suggestions for what professionals can do to help caregivers both before and after the death has occurred.
authors.affiliation: Jewish Home Lifecare, New York.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boerner
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2003 Nov 13;349(20):1936-42
references.pmid: 14614169
references.citation: JAMA. 2005 Jun 1;293(21):2601-8
references.pmid: 15928281
references.citation: J Affect Disord. 2006 May;92(1):117-24
references.pmid: 16458978
references.citation: J Pain Symptom Manage. 2009 Jan;37(1):3-12
references.pmid: 18538977
references.citation: J Palliat Med. 2006 Jun;9(3):683-93
references.pmid: 16752974
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 1997 May;154(5):616-23
references.pmid: 9137115
references.citation: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Aug;14(8):650-8
references.pmid: 16861369
references.citation: J Palliat Med. 2006 Oct;9(5):1188-203
references.pmid: 17040157