Preparing for Widowhood - While Your Husband is Still Living

Abstract

Research on widowhood challenges has suggested that married women, with unhealthy husbands, should consider preparing in advance for widowhood. However, many women might have an easier transition into widowhood if some preparation tasks or actions are completed while married. What is often overlooked is that these widowhood challenges exist, and that married women can either prepare for them while married or react to them when widowed. Analyzing the transcripts from 70 interviews that were conducted over three months, the results of this study show that there are opportunities and benefits for married women to prepare in advance for widowhood for known widowhood challenges. Some of these preparation tasks and actions are similar to the interventions that widows utilize to overcome the widowhood challenges they encounter. My primary and secondary research findings complement the literature on widowhood challenges, potential widowhood interventions, and how married women might prepare in advance for widowhood while their husbands are still living.