Doubly disenfranchised grief in old age

Little attention has been given to the meaning and impact of the death of an old person on a bereaved old person. This neglect is in part a reflection of the societal themes of ageism and disenfranchised grief. The deaths of older persons and the grief of older persons are each devalued and thus grief is doubly disenfranchised. Many older persons regulate their emotional expression and have shrinking social networks. These characteristics have an impact on their expression of grief. Three normative losses of age peers - spouse, sibling and friends - each demonstrate that bereavement has a major impact on their sense of self and on their social world.