Adults Losing their Parents: Interview with Patricia Stauber, RN

At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling) conference, I spoke with Patricia Stauber about the issues of losing a parent as an adult. This loss can be overlooked as it is expected that everyone’s parents will die eventually.

Patricia has worked with adults who have lost a parent for many years. She’s now in private practice working with adults who have lost parents.

In the video below, Patricia discusses the biggest issues facing adults who have lost parents and how to overcome them.

Here are some key takeaways from the video:

One of the biggest issues is that this type of loss is very unrecognized. A lot of people expect that you’re going to lose a parent and aren’t able to perceive how difficult a loss it is.
People are quick to brush off the loss of a parent when you’re an adult based on the fact that the parent was old and death was inevitable. They don’t appreciate how hard it is.
What Patricia is seeing now is baby boomers having a difficult time dealing with the loss of a parent, while juggling the responsibilities of caring for the other parent. This leads to stress and having to put your grief on the back burner.
The whole idea of taking care of yourself and finding time, even if it includes other family members, to do something that’s peaceful and relaxing. Patricia recommends finding a way to slow down and tend to your emotional pain.
Take the time to honor your loss, and take the time to take care of yourself.

For more video interviews, please see the Open To Hope YouTube channel.

Gloria Horsley

Dr. Gloria Horsley is an internationally known grief expert, psychotherapist, and bereaved parent. She started "Open to Hope" to help the millions in the world with grief. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Nurse Specialist, and has worked in the field of family therapy for over 20 years. Dr. Horsley hosts the syndicated internet radio show, The Grief Blog which is one of the top ranked shows on Health Voice America. She serves the Compassionate Friends in a number of roles including as a Board of Directors, chapter leader, workshop facilitator, and frequently serves as media spokesperson. Dr. Horsley is often called on to present seminars throughout the country. She has made appearances on numerous television and radio programs including "The Today Show," "Montel Williams," and "Sallie Jessie Raphael." In addition, she has authored a number of articles and written several books including Teen Grief Relief with Dr. Heidi Horlsey, and The In-Law Survival Guide.