CHPN Grief and Bereavement Care 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of bereavement follow-up after a patient's death in hospice care?
- To assess the family's financial needs after the death
- To provide emotional support and identify those at risk for complicated grief (Correct answer)
- To collect feedback about the quality of hospice services received
- To ensure all legal documentation has been properly completed
Correct answer: To provide emotional support and identify those at risk for complicated grief
Bereavement follow-up aims to provide emotional support to the bereaved family and identify individuals at risk for complicated or prolonged grief requiring additional intervention.
Question 2: Which theorist developed the concept of 'tasks of mourning' as an active alternative to passive stage-based grief models?
- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- Colin Murray Parkes
- J. William Worden (Correct answer)
- George Engel
Correct answer: J. William Worden
J. William Worden proposed the 'tasks of mourning' model, describing four active tasks mourners must work through rather than passive stages they experience.
Question 3: According to Worden's tasks of mourning, which task involves accepting the reality of the loss?
- Task II — Processing the pain of grief
- Task I — Accepting the reality of the loss (Correct answer)
- Task III — Adjusting to a world without the deceased
- Task IV — Finding an enduring connection with the deceased
Correct answer: Task I — Accepting the reality of the loss
Task I in Worden's model is 'Accept the Reality of the Loss,' involving intellectual and emotional acknowledgment that the person is dead and will not return.
Question 4: What is 'complicated grief,' also referred to as prolonged grief disorder?
- Grief that occurs suddenly following an unexpected traumatic death
- Persistent, intense grief reactions lasting beyond expected timeframes with significant functional impairment (Correct answer)
- Grief experienced simultaneously with another major stressor or loss
- Grief that is kept private and not expressed publicly or socially
Correct answer: Persistent, intense grief reactions lasting beyond expected timeframes with significant functional impairment
Complicated (prolonged) grief is characterized by persistent intense mourning beyond the expected timeframe that significantly impairs the bereaved person's daily functioning.
Question 5: Which of the following is a recognized risk factor for developing complicated grief?
- Strong and consistent social support network
- A prolonged illness allowing time to prepare for the death
- History of prior losses, trauma, or pre-existing mental health disorders (Correct answer)
- Death occurring in an inpatient hospice setting with professional support
Correct answer: History of prior losses, trauma, or pre-existing mental health disorders
Previous losses, trauma history, and pre-existing mental health disorders are established risk factors for complicated grief, as they increase vulnerability in the bereaved.
Question 6: According to CMS Conditions of Participation, Medicare-certified hospice programs must provide bereavement services for at least how long following a patient's death?
- 6 months
- 13 months (Correct answer)
- 24 months
- 3 months
Correct answer: 13 months
CMS Conditions of Participation (42 CFR 418.88) require Medicare-certified hospice programs to provide bereavement services for at least 13 months following the death of a hospice patient.
Question 7: What is 'anticipatory grief'?
- Grief experienced intensely after an unexpected traumatic death
- Grief experienced in advance of an expected loss, often during a terminal illness (Correct answer)
- Grief characterized by delayed emotional responses occurring months after death
- Grief observed in young children who cannot fully understand the concept of death
Correct answer: Grief experienced in advance of an expected loss, often during a terminal illness
Anticipatory grief occurs before the actual death as patients and families begin mourning losses of function, roles, and future plans while the patient is still living with a terminal illness.
CHPN Grief and Bereavement Care 1
What is the primary purpose of bereavement follow-up after a patient's death in hospice care?