The uniqueness of twin loss and grief

Loss of a twin unexpectedly in adulthood can leave the remaining twin feeling lost, devastated, and empty. The surviving twin can question the normalcy of these feelings and their response to the grief experience as compared to other losses. A literature review on adult twin loss followed by a review on sibling loss produced a sparse amount of information relevant to my questions. Both reviews centered around losses in childhood with little evidence of support for losses during adulthood. Guidance to assist with coping after this type of loss did not reveal specific coping strategies for the twinless twin. The coping strategies identified may be valuable for any person in their grieving process. The unique loss may benefit from future research on the most effective coping strategies. Grief therapists need further resources specific to singleton grief. Further research and clinical work would improve grief experiences during adult twin loss.

A National Survey of Children’s Experiences of Parental Separation and Support Needs in Australia

We used a mixed-methods online survey to recruit 616 young Australians whose parents had separated, to understand their experiences and how to better support them throughout the separation process. Persistent themes included conflict, lack of communication and agency, mental health concerns, and feelings of confusion, frustration, loss, and grief. Some suggested it would have been useful to talk about reasons for the separation, their rights, opinions and feelings, with some indicating the separation process affected their ongoing mental health and relationships. There was a general preference for face-to-face counseling, closely followed by online counseling and online peer-to-peer support, indicating that a “one size fits all” approach is not suitable for young people. Young people should be offered services early in the separation process that can be extended in content to other issues such as new partners, school life and mental health, and continued beyond the timeframe of the separation process.

Supporting people with dementia who are experiencing loss and grief; developing student music therapy practice

<p>This study is an action research project to develop my music therapy practice with people living with dementia who are encountering loss and grief. The research was developed during my practicum at the Music Moves Me Trust; a charitable trust offering music therapy services to people and their families living with dementia in the Waikato, New Zealand. The researched question was, “How can I use music therapy to support people with dementia through loss and grief?” This research is particularly relevant given the call for non-pharmaceutical dementia care in New Zealand. Over three action research cycles, I planned, performed, evaluated and reflected upon focused research actions. Thematic analysis was used to find common themes across the research cycles. Five themes of: sensing over speaking; human connection; honouring spirituality; knowing individuals closely and therapist self-care are presented in the model of a human hand. The palm of the hand holds the core theme valuing the person, as inspired by Kitwood (1997)’s model of personhood. The research’s findings valuing spiritual care, and an emphasis on nonverbal connection aligns with Kirkland, Fortuna, Kelson, and Phinney (2014)’s study of a spiritual care and music therapy group.</p>

Supporting people with dementia who are experiencing loss and grief; developing student music therapy practice

<p>This study is an action research project to develop my music therapy practice with people living with dementia who are encountering loss and grief. The research was developed during my practicum at the Music Moves Me Trust; a charitable trust offering music therapy services to people and their families living with dementia in the Waikato, New Zealand. The researched question was, “How can I use music therapy to support people with dementia through loss and grief?” This research is particularly relevant given the call for non-pharmaceutical dementia care in New Zealand. Over three action research cycles, I planned, performed, evaluated and reflected upon focused research actions. Thematic analysis was used to find common themes across the research cycles. Five themes of: sensing over speaking; human connection; honouring spirituality; knowing individuals closely and therapist self-care are presented in the model of a human hand. The palm of the hand holds the core theme valuing the person, as inspired by Kitwood (1997)’s model of personhood. The research’s findings valuing spiritual care, and an emphasis on nonverbal connection aligns with Kirkland, Fortuna, Kelson, and Phinney (2014)’s study of a spiritual care and music therapy group.</p>

Virtual Empowerment Training: Reaching Grandparent Caregivers During COVID19

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on minority populations in the United States who have disproportionately been at risk of getting the virus, having severe illness, and dying from it, with these risks most pronounced for older adults. The impact has been particularly severe on the more than on the more than 2, 7 million grandparents raising their grandchildren in the United States. Covid-19 has added profound strains to these families as they struggle with resources and isolation, frequently without assistance as well as the challenge of helping children to navigate online learning. The Virtual Empowerment Training Project, developed as a 7 session pilot program for low income grandparent caregivers in New York includes classes that strengthen parenting, communication, coping with loss and grief, and community empowerment. Participants were given ipads and computer training prior to classes, all conducted through Zoom. Initial data from the 56 participants (M age = 62, Race/ethnicity=Black, 79%, Hispanic, 16%, Income annual 41%&lt;$15,K ) indicate improvement, i.e. a lessening of Negative Affect regarding the grandchild (p &lt; .01) in the quality of their relationships with their grandchildren while also experiencing a decline (p &lt; .01) in their sense of parental efficacy, possibly reflecting their becoming more critical of their own parental skills. Participant evaluations of the course were overwhelmingly positive, with more than 90% finding it extremely helpful, valuable, and eager to share it with others and to become more involved in improving the lives of grandfamilies.