Le soi dans le silence de la mort de l’autre : les Deuils cannibales et mélancoliques de Catherine Mavrikakis

"When the narrator of Catherine Mavrikakis’ novel A Cannibal and Melancholy Mourning (2000) learns of the consecutive passings of several of her close friends, she transforms this experience into text. In this paper, we analyze Catherine Mavrikakis’s textualization of the ineffable death and loss of the other as a condition of awareness of one’s own finitude. By applying several narratological and theoretical tools to the text, we show how, using the writings but also the life of Hervé Guibert as a hypotext, the narrator articulates her own understanding of death by gathering the multitude of the dead under the banner of a single Hervé."

Olfaction and Physical Functioning in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

Background Poor olfaction is associated with worse functional performance in older adults, but longitudinal evidence is lacking. We investigated poor olfaction in relation to longitudinal changes in physical functioning among community-dwelling older adults. Methods The analysis included 2,319 participants from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (aged 71-82 years, 47·9% men, and 37·3% blacks) who completed the Brief Smell Identification Test in 1999-2000. Olfaction was defined as good (test score 11-12), moderate (9-10), or poor (0-8). Physical functioning was assessed up to four times over 8 years, using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the Health ABC Physical Performance Battery (HABCPPB). We conducted joint model analyses and reported the differences in annual declines across olfaction groups. Results During the follow-up, compared to those with good olfaction, older adults with poor olfaction had greater annual declines in both the SPPB score (-0.137, 95%CI: -0.186, -0.088) and all its subscales: standing balance (-0.068, 95%CI:-0.091, -0.044), chair stand (-0.046, 95%CI: -0.070, -0.022), and gait speed (-0.022, 95%CI: -0.042, -0.001). A similar observation was made for the HABCPPB score (difference in annual decline: -0.032, 95%CI:-0.042, -0.021). These findings are robust and cannot be explained by measured confounding from demographics, lifestyle factors, chronic diseases, nor by potential biases due to death and loss of follow-up. Similar associations were observed across subgroups of sex, race, and self-reported general health status. Conclusion This study provides the first epidemiological evidence that poor olfaction predicts a faster decline in physical functioning. Future studies should investigate potential mechanisms.

Are There Adequate Benefits and Contributions for SOCSO’s Invalidity Pension Scheme (IPS)?

Social security is a protection that a country legally gives to its citizens against interruption, death and loss of income. There are two kinds of protection schemes SOCSO in Malaysia, namely the Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) and the Invalidity Pension Scheme (IPS). This article aims to determine the benefits and contributions of IPS using Actuarial Cost method. In addition, this result will be used to compare with the adequacy of SOCSO contribution rate. Data of number of active populations in year 2014 for Invalidity Pension and Survivors’ Benefit are obtained from Social Security Organisation (SOCSO). The findings concluded that the claim made on benefits is higher than the contribution. This can lead to inadequate for benefits as compared to contributions.

Play Elements as Mechanisms in Intergenerational Arts Activities to Support Community Engagement with End-of-Life Issues

Talking about dying, death, and loss may be difficult. Arts offer alternative ways of engaging with end-of-life (EoL) issues, but little is known about the means through which this occurs. In this article, we aim to explore mechanisms in arts activities that support community engagement with EoL issues, based on the community-based participatory action research project Studio DöBra. Studio DöBra was developed to support community engagement with EoL issues through intergenerational arts workshops involving community partners, children, and older adults. Initial analysis with community partners indicated the importance of play elements in arts activities. Continued analysis was therefore abductive, using play theory and qualitative data from Studio DöBra arts activities. Through iterative examination of theory and data, we modified play theory as we identified mechanisms supporting community engagement with EoL issues in arts activities. Findings can contribute to theory-building that can inform arts activities supporting community engagement with EoL issues.

Toward an Understanding of Childhood Bereavement: an Exploratory Study

The death of a parent is one of the most significant and traumatic events children encounter throughout their lives. During this difficult time, educators are uniquely positioned to support grieving children because the classroom may be the primary setting in which children begin to express their grief. The extent to which students express their feelings depends on the classroom climate. The classroom can provide the stability and security grieving children need. Trust and rapport can also be established as educators discuss illness and death. Providing children with accurate information helps prevent misconceptions and worrying associations that can complicate reactions to death and loss. This study explores childhood grief with a focus on how the death of a parent affects children, as perceived/understood through their parents, and aims to provide educators with knowledge and skills to enhance their support of grieving children and their families.

Toward an Understanding of Childhood Bereavement: an Exploratory Study

The death of a parent is one of the most significant and traumatic events children encounter throughout their lives. During this difficult time, educators are uniquely positioned to support grieving children because the classroom may be the primary setting in which children begin to express their grief. The extent to which students express their feelings depends on the classroom climate. The classroom can provide the stability and security grieving children need. Trust and rapport can also be established as educators discuss illness and death. Providing children with accurate information helps prevent misconceptions and worrying associations that can complicate reactions to death and loss. This study explores childhood grief with a focus on how the death of a parent affects children, as perceived/understood through their parents, and aims to provide educators with knowledge and skills to enhance their support of grieving children and their families.