Supporting Significant Life Event in Health and Social Care

Human health does constitute not only physical wellness but also social stability which is supported by the mental well-being. One issue that disrupts psychological health is stress that leads to depression. Importantly, psychiatrists have confirmed that people's mental state is affected by significant life events that disrupt or disorient common life experiences. The occasions are termed significant as they lead to abrupt and worrying changes that cause psychological instability (Monroe, Slavich, Toress & Gotlib, 2007). Moreover, these life events usually reflect the misfortunes such as divorce, sickness, death or accidents (Monroe et al., 2007). This paper, therefore, investigates how significant life events impact human social and health care using "death" as an example.

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Task 1

1.1: Impact of Significant Life Events

Even though death is an expected outcome, it is often received negatively by people. The bereaved individuals are usually left with irreplaceable gap since they loved and cared for the late person (Monroe et al., 2007). Notably, an individual's death means that the kin left have to go through a life transition such as taking new responsibilities and adjusting to new lifestyles (Monroe et al., 2007). As a result, they become depressed as they deal with the pain of losing their loved ones. More so, they are also left with puzzles of refilling the gaps regarding duty and affection roles (Monroe et al., 2007). For instance, a widow will have to take care of her children alone without the help of her husband as it is normal in a family setting. Besides, bereaving situations always come with confusion as the bereaved are torn in between healing the pain loss and moving forward.

Nevertheless, society plays a negative role in worsening the bereaved conditions. It is essential to note an individual's death results in expensive costs to the grievers and society at large due to the responsibilities left. In most cases, the community ill-treats them by through discrimination and seclusion as death is considered as a bad omen. Again, the surrounding society fails to support the bereaved in handling the duties left by the dead. In fact, on many occasions, they take advantage of the bereaving insecurity that results from the gaps to squander the grievers' opportunities. For example, a woman gets deprived of all her marital properties by her in-laws after her husband's death.

The results of such changes weigh negatively on the condolers as their condoling situations are worsened by the unintended consequences (National Bereavement Alliance, 2013). Their wellbeing gets threatened as a result of increased health risks in terms of shortened mortality and poor medical status (National Bereavement, 2013). A research done in Scotland by the National Bereavement Alliance in 2013 claimed that individuals who had lost their spouses died shortly after grieving due to the difficulties after the loss. According to Mancini (2013), grievances take hold of the victims in that they are unable to function correctly. For instance, they are unable to eat neither nor sleep which, in turn, risks their health stability.

1.2: Group Responses

It is evident that the situational response which the bereaved gets determine the effectiveness of their healing processes. Importantly, most grievers yearn for moral support as a response to feeling that they are loved despite the difficult situation (Currier & Niemeyer, 2008). It is critical to note that different people or groups give their support differently depending on the capabilities to help (Currier & Niemeyer, 2008). In a bereaving case, family and friends offer love and care to help cool the mourning (Currier & Niemeyer, 2008). They help the victim to deal with the pain by ensuring that he/she is observant of healthful practices that maintain his/her heath stability. For example, they will ensure that the bereaved will take their meals as well as they have enough sleep to reduce their stress levels.

Another group of people that help during grieving is support groups. These are the institutions that incorporate individuals who have gone through a similar situation (Currier & Niemeyer, 2008). They narrate their experiences to one another to encourage themselves. The theory behind these support groups is that sufferers feel relieved and inspired when they hear their colleagues' encounters as they view their as less touching that their friends(Currier & Niemeyer, 2008). Importantly, the grieving friends discuss and advise each other on the strategies to help deal with the pin loss.

Also, the weepers usually depend on their media family for closure. Here communication platforms are used to share the unfortunate experiences to acquire sympathy from other users (Ghong, Yu & Schooler, 2018). For instance, a family member or a friend may post the passing of an individual on behalf of the bereaved on social media to inform others of the incidence. It is with no doubt that the comments from such a post will be full of condolence messages that will make the condoler to feel better. Importantly, the emotions that stir from this communication motivate people to provide both moral and financial support to the bereaved which, in turn, makes the difficult situation to be hopeful (Ghong et al., 2018).

In most cases, the weepers prefer to be left alone to deal with their grievances. Here, they depend on themselves for support to the healing process. Self-analysis during the condoling situation is critical as it enables one to identify one potential to overcome difficult circumstances (Ghong et al., 2018). However, this form of support response is risky as it puts the victim in a vulnerable state (Ghong et al.,2018). The griever might not find the strength to carry on after the loss of a loved one since he/she might feel defeated. Such feeling endangers the mental state as it leads to deep depression or contemplating suicide.

Moreover, societal organisations are also part of group responses to a grieving situation (Bulmash, Harkness, Stewart & Bagby, 2009). These institutions comprise of people or communities that surround the condolers (Bulmash et al. 2009). They include schools, welfare groups, and work stations. Notably, the organizations provide support in appreciations of the bereaved membership and contribution to their operations (Bulmash et al. 2009). The aim is to make a member feel important which, in turn, help reduce stress levels and sadness of the weeper. For example, a company will pay for funeral costs of a fallen worker to help reduce costs for the bereaved family. Alternatively, it can send representatives to visit a staff that has lost a close relative to grieve with him/her.

1.3: Impact of Life Events on Others

Chiefly, death does not only affect the bereaved that comprise of friends and family but also the community at large. The loss results from the space left by the deceased which are usually to the correct match to fill (Bulmash et al. 2009). When people die, they abandon their responsibilities together with duties. In cases where the death is sudden, people close to the deceased usually did not plan for the life event's outcome. As a result, activities together wither their objectives becomes pending; thus, the community lag regarding development and growth. For instance, a company has to go through the struggle of re-employing after the death of an employee to fill the left gap.

Similarly, people lose opportunities for self-enhancement as a result of death (Currier & Niemeyer, 2008). What happens is that people lose potential or existing markets to which they sell their services when death occurs (Currier & Niemeyer, 2008). For instance, take an example of a tenants' death where the landlord will go into loss since he will not get the rent. At the same time, the town shop vendor will lose a customer which will mean that he/she will experience a profit deficit.

More so, the gap as a result of death also concerns emotional attachment. According to Keyes and his colleagues (2014), mourners usually find it impossible to reconstruct their connection after a loved one's death. They fail to bond again with new profound relations; thus, they keep on hurting for a long time (Keyes et al., 2014). Importantly, the same case applies to the relationship between an individual and a community. Keyes and his colleagues (2014) explain that strong bonds are hard to replace; therefore when a loss occurs, people are left in a hanging state that affects their development, For example, students experience a tricky time while adjusting to a new teaching style when their teacher whom they were used to passes away. It is evident that the probability of the learners to excel in academic performances during this situation is close to zero.

2.1: Effectiveness of Organisational Policies and Procedures in Supporting

Consequently, it is critical to note that bereavement is a societal problem as it negatively affects society's progress whether directly or indirectly. For instance, the grievers are usually psychological unstable as well as sickly (Keyes et al., 2014). This condition deprives them the potential and the energy to work to improve their social status; thus, they cause the community to drag regarding success (Keyes et al., 2014). As a result, societal heads such as government official and other states administrative have crafted policies that are used in supporting individuals who are grieving. According to Niemeyer (2011), the primary purpose of the reconstructed systems is to better the conditions of the condolers and the community at large. Furthermore, they are designed to provide a wide range of support from emotional to financial needs to ensure that the grievers do not have additional stress (Niemeyer, 2011).

Notably, the effectiveness of organizational aids to curb grievance depends on when whether they can solve problems during the grieving period (McGuiness & Williams, 2014). Great help is given before, during and after the bereavement duration (McGuiness & Williams, 2014). McGuiness and Williams (2014) explained that the presence of institutions that relate to bereaving enables the bereaved to deal with the pain of loss as they that are cared for and important as well.

As mentioned above, the supporting procedures should be problem-solving regarding the concerned grieving situation. For instance, take an example of a non-governmental organization that deals with bereavement support in a condition where the deceased was suffering from cancer. Its good policy will prompt them to be providing support before death occurs. In this case, death will be predictable as the victim could be seriously ill. The help that they should provide at this stage should be moral which include, counseling and medical advice, as well as financial aid to pay for the medical expenses. When the patient succumbs, the NGO's practice should direct them to continue providing the necessary support such as counseling. More so, it should also chip in handling the funeral expenses to relieve the bereaved the worry burden to facilitate their healing. Finally, the NGO should not stop helping even after the aftermath. It should continue ensuring that the condolers are on the right track towards overcoming the loss.

An excellent example of a bereavement policy is the Bereavement Care Standards of the UK that was implemented in 2001 (Rouse, 2013). This act was put as a strategy in managing bereaving situations that were costing the UK a lot of its citizens' life (Rouse 2013). This law ensured that the grievers attained help regarding moral and monetary from the state together with other concerned institutions to lessen the grieving s...