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KMID : 0614420170450040109
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Mental Health & Social Work
2017 Volume.45 No. 4 p.109 ~ p.138
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Experience of Social Worker for Elderly Client’s Death
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Park Hyang-Kyun
Kwon Ja-Young
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Abstract
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The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of social workers in depth by the phenomenological study who lost their elderly clients because of death. For the study purpose, the elderly who died of suicides and accidents were excluded. We selected 7 social workers as research participants who experienced deaths of elderly clients.
The main research questions were explored by differentiating before and after client’s death. Before clients death, the main question was related with exploring the relationship between workers and clients.
After clients death, we investigated the psychological and emotional experiences of the workers, agency’s posthumous support, changes in the social worker’s practices and so on. As a result, the social workers who experienced elderly client’s death underwent psychological and emotional difficulties such as sadness, sense of loss and guilt, further realized the importance empathic approach in the working environment.
Also, it is found that the workers who lost their clients due to death tend to pay more attention to the importance of carrying out practice with consideration of the traits of old age and gain a broader understanding of life and death. However, workers who did not receive sufficient support from the agency tend to experience burn out and indifference toward the organization. The research findings suggest practical recommendations for social workers who experienced the crisis because of elderly client’s death.
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KEYWORD
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elderly client death, social worker’s experience, empathy, empathetic environment, phenomenological study
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