Bereavements of family members or significant others always present a considerable tragedy for a person, especially after long years of conjugal life. Older adults perceive such happenings especially painful due to their tendency to sensitivity and fear to encounter loneliness. This way, old widowers require specific support and treatment after their spouse’s death. In order to elaborate the appropriate one, it is crucial to address Maslow’s Human Motivation and Hierarchy of Basic Human Needs (McLeod, 2020). This theory allows to understand the demands of a widower precisely.
This problem regards some psychological issues, that is why the application of the theory is appropriate. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy, the bereavement addresses the third level of needs, which is responsible for belongingness (McLeod, 2020). Family, love and friendship present a matter of crucial importance, as they allow people to feel needed and accepted by society. Therefore, it is essential to supply older widowers with phycological help rather than with medical one. Such treatment should include encouraging them to socialize with friends and relatives and spend as much time in society as possible. Moreover, it is essential to draw relatives’ attention to this demand and advise them on supporting a patient. This way, a widower would satisfy their need for belongingness that significantly relieves the pain of the bereavement.
In conclusion, overcoming a spouse’s death in old age may be an ordeal. Elderly people’s mentality is especially vulnerable, so they need careful support in order to recover from stress (Peterson & Bredow, 2020). Maslow’s Pyramid contributes to indicating particular needs of widowers and helps to elaborate an appropriate treatment (Sharing Theories: Theories/Models from Other Disciplines). This way, the significance of the theory cannot be underestimated, as it presents a crucial part of the treatment.
References
McLeod, S. (2020). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.SimplyPsychology. Web.
Peterson, S. J., & Bredow, T. S. (2020). Middle range theories: Application to nursing. Wolters Kluwer Health.
Sharing Theories: Theories/Models from Other Disciplines [PowerPoint Slides].