Lyn Dorenzo 

Gerontology Professional, Staff at Country Village 

Ric Newton 

Owner, Newton-Bracewell Funeral Home; 

Lecturer, CSU, Chico, Department of Sociology 

Lyn Dorenzo is a CSU, Chico alumna who graduated with a double major in psychology and gerontology. After working with the elderly her entire career, Ms. Dorenzo is convinced of two things: that people need to grieve their losses as they come and that people need to develop healthy grief coping skills. Elderly people must often deal with grief because their losses tend to be more significant and the losses tend to come closer together. Ms. Dorenzo also helps her audience to understand that death is only one type of loss for the elderly – other losses include loss of independence, loss of pets, loss of being able to get to religious services, and others. 

Mr. Newton uses anecdotes from his work in the funeral business, combined with his research while earning his sociology degrees, to provide insight on issues around grief. He emphasizes that people trying to help those in grief need to meet grievers where they are, instead of relying on trite platitudes and clichés. Important lessons he has learned through his research and his first-hand experience is that grief expressed is grief diminished, and that many complicated grief issues have to do with issues earlier in life. 

Workshop Handouts: 

Losses 

Losses and Changes Through Life 

Coping Skills 

Losses Elders Experience 

View/Download Transcript 

Recorded: March 14, 2012