Practice Approach According to the lifespan development theory, it is difficult for the individuals to come to terms with a loss of functioning when they grow old (Hughes & Heycox, 2010 p.69). This makes it difficult for the older persons to cope with some of the situations including grief. The cognitive functions of the older persons may also be affected and hence making it difficult for them to deal with different situations including grief. The cognitive-behavioural therapy is one of the intervention methods that are used for the purposes of ensuring that the older persons can deal with challenges such as grief (Kathleen, 2005, 158).
This approach involves exploring a relationship between the thoughts of an older person and their behavior. This is considering that the moment of grief is characterized by a lot of emotional distress. Unpremeditated thoughts may arise among the older people as a result of losing the people who are close to them. This is also common among the older persons who are dealing with their mortality (Corr, Nabe & Corr, 2009 p.437). Such unpremeditated thoughts usually result to panic terror, anxiety or grief among the older persons.
The cognitive-behavioural therapy approach involves providing assistance to the older persons to enable them identify the emotional and behavioural response to events. The identification of the emotions and behaviours related to different events in times of losses enables them to respond effectively and adapt to the situation (McInnis- Dittrich, 2009, 32). This approach is, therefore, useful in terms of enabling the older persons deal with grief, as well as uncertainties related to own mortality.
According to the cognitive theories, the cognitive in old age is directly related to physiological aging (Hughes & Heycox, 2010 p.72). This means that maximizing the cognitive functioning facilitates a health aging process. When dealing with loss or own mortality, the cognitive function among the older persons may be affected and hence impacting negatively o their health. Cognitive-behavioural therapy highlights that the cognitive and behavioural responses are usually learned. As a result of this, the older persons can relearn the emotional responses when dealing with grief and hence impacting positively on their ability to deal with the situation.
This can be achieved through the assistance of the social care workers. The main goal of cognitive-behavioural therapy is to change the state of emotions of the older persons (Ann, 2010 p.42). This is considering that the emotional responses are responsible for the unpremeditated behaviours by the older persons, and it affects their health and well being. The social care workers usually trace the behaviours of the older persons to the situations facing them when using the cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Some of the older persons may also go into depression when they lose their loved ones. The approach is, therefore, important in terms of dealing with such a situation. This is considering that the therapy is effective in terms of treating anxiety and depression (Kathleen, 2005 p.159). Common errors in thinking which influences the behaviours of the older persons and hence enabling them to deal with grief and own mortality. The personality of the older persons may also affect their ability to deal with grief and own mortality (Hughes & Heycox, 2010 p.73). This is according to the theories of psychodynamic and psychosocial theories.
When using the Cognitive-behavioural therapy, the social care workers usually consider this fact so as to ensure that they provide them with the required assistance. The social care workers have to engage with the older persons for the purposes of obtaining information from them which may be useful in ensuring that they can address the challenges facing them in terms of dealing with the loss or own mortality. This intervention method also considers that the older persons may face more challenges since they do not have people to talk to (MacKinlay, 2008 p.56).
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