Social support during the adjustment period of the elderly to the death of their spouse

U starijoj dobi osoba se suočava s brojnim gubitcima među kojima je i smrt supružnika. Smrt supružnika smatra se jednim od najstresnijih životnih događaja. Udovištvo u starijoj životnoj dobi nosi brojne posljedice te zahtjeva prilagodbu na nove okolnosti. U procesu prilagodbe na udovištvo izuzetno je važna socijalna podrška. Cilj ovog rada je predstaviti značaj socijalne podrške u procesu prilagodbe osoba starije životne dobi na smrt supružnika. U prvom dijelu govori se o općenito o udovištvu, posljedicama koje udovištvo nosi te o stavovima koji postoje u društvu spram udovištva. U drugom dijelu prikazuju se osnovne spoznaje o gubitku, tugovanju i prilagodbi te razlike između muškaraca i žena u prilagodbi na udovištvo. Središnji dio čine spoznaje o socijalnoj podršci starijim osobama tijekom udovištva s posebnim osvrtom na obitelj, prijatelje, grupe podrške te stručnu podršku. Kraj rada posvećen je predstavljanju osnovnih znanja i vještina pružanja podrške tijekom prilagodbe na udovištvo.In old age, a person faces numerous losses, including the death of a spouse. The death of a spouse is considered one of the most stressful life events. Widowhood in old age has many consequences and requires adaptation to new circumstances. Social support is extremely important in the process of adjusting to widowhood. The intention of this paper is to present the importance of social support in the process of adjustment of the elderly to the death of a spouse. The first part of the paper is about widowhood in general, the consequences of widowhood and the existing attitudes in society towards widowhood. The second part presents basic insights into loss, grief and adjustment, and the differences between men and women in adjusting to widowhood. The central part consists of understandings of social support for the elderly during widowhood with special emphasis on family, friends, support groups and professional support. The final part of the paper is dedicated to presenting the basic knowledge and skills of providing support during adaptation to widowhood