Question

List and describe the stages of death and dying according to Kubler-Ross. How might you assist a client or patient in meeting these stages? What about family members, how might you assist them as well?

Answer 1

According to Kubler-Ross, stages of grief includes denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. In the stage of denial the person does not accept the reality of the situation and is in a State of Shock. This is followed by a state of anger, and then attempts to beg for the life of the patient or himself/ herself. This is followed by depression and then finally acceptance, where the individual is learning to cope up with the grief and accept the reality of the situation. For the client who is going through these stages it is necessary to ensure that adequate psychological support is provided to deal with the grief. Family members must be taught healthy differences and coping mechanisms in order to prepare for consequences which are inevitable.