Reflection on death and grief

I have been working at a senior living residence and serving older adults who need palliative care. For the last five years, I have witnessed many patients facing death after battling with different symptoms of chronic illnesses. I have watched families of the elderly patients struggling to come to terms with the realism of death (Npr.org., 2014). During my first years, I had an extremely difficult time because I experienced a deep sense of sadness after each patient passed away. However, I eventually become accustomed to the fact that older adults have had the privilege of living for many years and that death allows them to rest (Axelrod, 2017). Some of the elderly people have numerous health complications that compel them to deal with excessive pain. For this reason, I realize that many of them wish for death as a permanent solution to their problems.

However, death is only easier for them if they are at peace with family members. Experiencing the death of elderly patients has only made me realize that death is a natural process that people cannot avoid. The strong will to live does not guarantee anyone that they will live for a long period. My Christian beliefs have served as a motivating factor, because I realize that death does not signify the end. The hope of resurrection is real for me, and I am willing to accept death because of the recognition that there is a new life beyond death. Many of the elderly people that I have been working with also have a similar conviction that there is life after death (Healgrief. org., 2017). As a result, they experience peaceful deaths because of the hope of resurrection.