Good

Option 1

From my personal perspective, the death of a child is more tragic as compared to that of a middle-aged or elderly adult. Firstly, due to the inexperience of children, childhood is always associated with innocence and as a result, their death is always seen as undeserved. Unlike experienced adults who might know of their impending death, children are not aware when their prognosis is poor and therefore cannot make end of life plans making their death more painful. Another factor that makes children’s death more tragic is due to unachieved life goals. Growing up, children usually have a set of goals and aspirations that they would like to attain. Unlike adults who have lived and realized some of their goals, the death of a child is considered a permanent blockade to these dreams.

In a situation where the child has a chronic illness and the adult’s demise was sudden and unforeseen, the adult’s death would be more tragic. According to October et al. (2020), an investigation of the bereavement experiences of individuals showed that the intensity of grief was higher especially in unanticipated or sudden deaths. In this case, for instance, the parents of a sick child will be psychologically prepared about the child’s imminent death and this will help them during grieving. On the other hand, due to the spontaneity of its occurrence, an adult's sudden death will be devastating and shocking to the family making it more tragic.

For parents who have lost their child, the action I will take include providing them with a judgement-free platform to voice out their anger, frustrations and any other emotions associated with grieving. It is also imperative to remember that individuals process loss differently and it is therefore not uncommon for the parents to have spontaneous anger outbursts. Another action I will take is to refer them to social support services such as self-help groups since mutual support will play a key role in helping the family get closure and accept their loss. Lastly, another action I would take is to assess for signs of dysfunctional coping and grieving such as prolonged social withdrawal, intense prolonged sorrow and avoidance of reminders among others. The cause of death of the child matters as it determines the grieving process.

While communicating with the parents I will ensure that I listen more and talk less. This way I will provide them with an avenue to air their emotions without trivializing their pain. Another communication technique is using active listening and referring to the child by name when talking about him/her. By mentioning the child, the parents will feel that someone else is sharing their pain and this will positively influence the coping process. Lastly, being empathetic and acknowledging the parent’s intense pain will help them in accepting their loss.

Reference

October, T., Dryden-Palmer, K., Copnell, B., & Meert, K. L. (2018). Caring for Parents After the Death of a Child. Pediatric critical care medicine: a journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies, 19(2), 61–68. https://doi.org/10.1097/PCC.0000000000001466