As we age, we have to deal with the issues of dying. Widowhood is a major transition. A person losing their partner after years of being together. Because women live longer than men, most widows are women. Men have a harder time coping with widowhood because they are usually more dependent on their spouse for social and emotional support. Women are more likely to have financial and home maintenance difficulties. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross identified various stages that people go through while they are grieving and also dying.

discuss how men and women deal with widowhood. How are they the same or different? What issues are especially important to know when dealing with men and women? How would you apply the stages of grief when a spouse dies? How may the process of widowhood be different for gay and lesbians?