The Impact of an Older Adult's Death on the Family.

The death of an older adult member in a family can have a significant impact on family functioning, and clinicians often find themselves in unfamiliar territory when treating bereaved family members. Psychologists' conception of the grief process has changed a great deal over recent years in combination with a new emphasis on the context in which an individual's grief is taking place. This article focuses on the impact of an older adult family member's death on members of the surviving family, particularly the impact of a parent's death on surviving adult children. The impact of a grandparent's death on surviving children and on the family as a whole is also considered. Implications for treatment are provided based on a review of the theoretical and empirical literatures pertaining to this topic.