Grief and Loss: Social Work Perspective

This assignment delves into the topic of grief and loss from a social work perspective. It emphasizes understanding the multifaceted nature of grief, exploring its impact on individuals, families, and communities. The assignment encourages students to analyze different theoretical frameworks related to grief and loss, and to consider practical interventions and support strategies employed by social workers in assisting individuals navigating these challenging experiences.

SOCIAL WORK

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
What grief and loss issues Barry might be experiencing and how you will address these?...3
Explain what theories of loss and grief will inform your practice while you are working with
Barry?.....................................................................................................................................4
Identify what obstacles you might experience while working with this client including the
impact of your current personal situation...............................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Social work is referred to be a centric profession in the field of health and social care
(HSC) that mostly surrounds around individuals from infants to elderly people where the
workers serving in this area tends to operate for the betterment of the society and the individuals.
They usually take care of people dealing with both mental and physical trauma with a prime
objective of ascertaining solutions to the problem of those individuals and effectively resolving
the same (Boss & Yeats, 2014). The below report is based upon an analogous context of an old
man named Barry who is 65 years old. Also, he is a widower who is currently residing with his
dog named Rusty and used to spend time with fewer number of friends at a local club on every
friday and has a daughter who is unable to look after her due to her career oriented goals.
However, after losing his wife, he is not going through a stable state of mind and is currently
admitted in a hospital followed by a heart attack.
What grief and loss issues Barry might be experiencing and how you will address these?
Grief is specified to be a natural respond to loss where it is basically referred to be an
emotional suffering that is being felt by an individual after losing someone forever. This is for
instance to relate with the present case of Barry where his partner passed away and hence he is
expected to deal with such state of grief (Duffey, 2015). Combating with such loss is referred to
be one of the biggest challenges in the life of an individual with an overwhelming feeling to
endure the pain of loss. At this time, one can go through all sort of experiences with all sort of
difficulties and unforeseen emotions coming out of shock, uncertainty, guilt along with deep
level of sadness.
However, the pain of grief is also apparent to harm the physical health of an individual
like Barry by making it troublesome for him to sleep, consume food by together disrupting his
thought procedure. Wherein, all of these are referred to be some natural response to a huge loss.
However, on referring to the recent case of Barry, it has been found that he is at present going
through an unresolved state of grief that usually lasts for a longer time period despite of being
surrounded by a social circle where Barry is also surrounded by his fewer number of friends and
leading a social life with them (Thompson, Cox, & Stevenson, 2017). However, it is not easy to
get out of such heartbreaks and continually disrupts into the personal ability of an individual
where they are later unable to care for their routine duties.

Apart from this, there together exists some other issues of grief and loss that is being
faced by Barry and where he is currently admitted to a local hospital because of a recent stroke.
Followed by this state of ill health, doctors declared him disabled who is now unable to take his
own responsibility. This is referred to be yet another reason of his grief where he is also having a
limited number of friends with the responsibility of a loving dog and has now lost his
independence as well (Komaromy, 2016). Also, no prior support from the family is stated to be
yet another cause of grief where he is also having a daughter who is unable to take care of his
afflicted condition. It is mainly due to her career related aspiration where she is also placed at a
higher level position at her workplace. This being yet other vital reason, the doctors have
referred him to an elderly care home that reflects to be yet another consolidated cause of grief
with an unresolved clause in it.
It is thence to address these issues of grief and loss in Barry, it is important to determine
the symptoms of grief in an individual and detect the same in him. Beside this, he has recently
suffered from a stroke that has in turn proved his impaired condition where he is also consuming
such nutrients that are not good for his health and having it almost every Friday. Such
unconcerned behaviour towards himself clearly reflects an apparent existence of grief and loss in
him that ultimately resulted in stroke and made him suffer from chronic ill health and pain. It is
now important for Barry to attend some counselling sessions and therapies to come out of the
state of heartbreak (Wiese, Stancliffe, Read, Jeltes & Clayton, 2015).
Explain what theories of loss and grief will inform your practice while you are working with
Barry?
Social work is a practice of helping individuals and their family members to get out of
any vulnerable state that is either due to their sufferings from any sort of physical disorder or
mental trauma. Where in the present case, Barry is suffering from both of these situations where
he has lost his wife before 12 months and has himself suffered a stroke, after which, he has been
declared unfit who cannot look after himself and resultantly, his pet as well (Van Dooren, 2014).
It is where his daughter is together not able to look after him due to her own professional
responsibilities. For which, Barry is hereby advised to take the help of elderly care facility that
was depressing for him and was in equivalence to loss of independence for him. Due to which,
he is hereby required to take a prompt assistance of social care practitioner who will support him

with the help of some relative theories of loss and grief. One such effective theory of loss and
grief is a 7 stage theory of grief with its seven distinct steps as referred below- Shock and denial- It is the foremost stage in which the social practitioner is hereby
required to deal with the state of shock and denial that is being faced by Barry after
knowing the fact of his lost independence where he was no more able to take care of
himself (Pereira, Wire & Stiller, 2017). As a result to which, he is now unable to take the
responsibility of his own as well as his pet dog. Here, the social practitioner is thus
required to aid him by telling him some easy ways for supporting him physically by
which he can get out of this situation. Pain and guilt- It is referred to be yet another factual situation of Barry where he is still
suffering from the pain of losing his wife (Shuter, Beattie & Edwards, 2014). For which,
the care practitioner is duly required to provide some moral support to him and by which,
he can tend to get out of this state of disappointment. Anger and bargaining- This is referred to be yet another vital stage of this model where
Barry may together deal with a state of anger and disgust for not being able to fulfil his
needs after being admitted to the aged care facility. After which, he might not be able to
attend his local club on every Friday night. This in turn can lead him to get into the state
of angriness where the social practitioner is hereby required to opt for some pertinent
ways of negotiation to make him understand this. Depression, reflection and loneliness- It is after the above considerate step, Barry may
get into a depressed state where he may together feels to be isolated. This is mainly due
to the above stated impediment of Barry for which, he may not able to lead his previous
lifestyle anymore (Doxey & McNamara, 2015). Also, the matter of isolation for not
having any close relative to handle him reflects yet another pivotal concern for which, the
social practitioner is hereby required to encourage him to participate in some other
considerate activities. By which, he can easily get out this situation of isolation and
depression. The upward turn- This is the adjustment stage of Barry where his symptoms are hereby
required to lessen down with a prime responsibility of the social practitioner to address
the same and take liable actions for his betterment.

 Reconstruction and working through- At this stage, Barry's mind is required to become
more functional and operative from the above undertaken measures of the social worker
for the well being of Barry. As a result to which, he is now expected to come out of all
deteriorated conditions identified in the above stage and proceed towards wellness by
getting out of the state of grief and anger (Hall, 2014).
 Acceptance and hope- Herein, Barry after getting out of the above worsen situations is
expected to look forward to his life with a zeal of participating in some new activities to
get some happiness where the social practitioner is together required to ensure the same
(O'Shea, Spence & Donovan, 2014).
Identify what obstacles you might experience while working with this client including the impact
of your current personal situation.
There might be a possible existence of several obstructions that are required to be
conquered by a social worker to effectively work with the clients who are going through some
state of distress. Wherein, resolving there problematic concern is referred to be a foremost
objective of such social work practitioners where they are often bothered by their own personal
situation. It is therefore on considering the current case of Barry who is currently unfit to take his
own responsibilities due to a stroke and is resultantly going through a state of grief and loss with
several other issues (Neimeyer, 2015).
In context to which, a foremost obstacle that is apparent to hinder the task of social work
practitioner while working with Barry is his personal consideration of not being able to see a
person suffering from such state of pain. Wherein, the worker has together arrived to meet his
own father who fractured his hip and is unable to provide sufficient time to Barry. This might be
a huge obstacle in this case (Harris & Bordere, 2016). Another concerning thing is to handle the
pet dog of Barry who is now orphaned due to Barry's absence from home where Barry is equally
concerned about it. This will put a significant impact on the situation of the worker, because he
will be in stress after seeing such condition and he will not be able to focus on what he is doing.
It can happen that due to such difficulties, he might not be able to fulfil the specific needs of his
client.

CONCLUSION
The above report has demonstrated a significant role of social work that is based upon a
given case scenario of Barry who is suffering from the state of grief and loss. This report has
firstly discovered the reason behind such condition of Barry along with the issues that are being
faced by him during this course of period. It has together exhibited the theory of loss and grief
after addressing the issues that was affecting Barry. On whose basis, the seven step model of
grief has been undertaken to interpret the role of social practitioner to work with Barry. Lastly,
several obstacles were identified that is commonly faced by the social workers at the time of
handling the patients like Barry going through the state of grief and loss by together relating it
with the personal situation of the worker.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Boss, P., & Yeats, J. R. (2014). Ambiguous loss: A complicated type of grief when loved ones
disappear. Bereavement Care. 33(2). 63-69.
Doxey, G., & McNamara, P. (2015). A new role for social work in remote Australia: Addressing
psycho-social needs of farming families identified through financial counselling.
International Social Work. 58(1). 32-42.
Duffey, T. (Ed.). (2015). Creative interventions in grief and loss therapy: When the music stops,
a dream dies. Routledge.
Hall, C. (2014). Bereavement theory: recent developments in our understanding of grief and
bereavement. Bereavement Care. 33(1). 7-12.
Harris, D. L., & Bordere, T. C. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief:
Exploring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Routledge.
Komaromy, C. (2016). Understanding reproductive loss: perspectives on life, death and fertility.
Routledge.
Neimeyer, R. A. (Ed.). (2015). Techniques of grief therapy: Assessment and intervention.
Routledge.
O'Shea, G., Spence, S. H., & Donovan, C. L. (2014). Interpersonal factors associated with
depression in adolescents: are these consistent with theories underpinning interpersonal
psychotherapy?. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy. 21(6). 548-558.
Pereira, M., Wire, G., & Stiller, K. (2017). A Retrospective Review of the After-Hours Social
Work Service in a Tertiary-Care Public Hospital in Australia. Internet Journal of Allied
Health Sciences and Practice. 15(1). 1.
Shuter, P., Beattie, E., & Edwards, H. (2014). An exploratory study of grief and health-related
quality of life for caregivers of people with dementia. American journal of Alzheimer's
disease and other dementias. 29(4). 379-385.
Thompson, N., Cox, G. R., & Stevenson, R. G. (Eds.). (2017). Handbook of Traumatic Loss: A
Guide to Theory and Practice. Routledge.
Van Dooren, T. (2014). Flight ways: Life and loss at the edge of extinction. Columbia University
Press.

Wiese, M., Stancliffe, R. J., Read, S., Jeltes, G., & Clayton, J. M. (2015). Learning about dying,
death, and end-of-life planning: Current issues informing future actions. Journal of
Intellectual and Developmental Disability. 40(2). 230-235.