During a home visit, an older male client tells the nurse that his wif

During a home visit, an older male client tells the nurse that his wife died 3 years ago. What did the nurse observe as an indication that this client is experiencing complicated grief?

1. The client has an album of photographs of his wife open on the living room table.
2. He tells the nurse that his wife was an awful cook and that he has eaten better meals since she died.
3. He indicates that he sends his laundry out to be done because he had never figured out how the washer works.
4. He shows the nurse his wife’s craft room that remains just as she left it before she died.

ANSWER

Correct Answer: 4
Rationale 1: Showing photographs of the deceased is a normal response to grief.
Rationale 2: Talking about good and bad points of the deceased is a normal response to grief.
Rationale 3: Sending out the laundry to be done is a healthy response to a problem that this client identified.
Rationale 4: Leaving the deceased wife’s craft room and belongings intact for over 3 years is considered outside the normal limits of the grief process.