Widowhood, an unavoidable and stressful situation, has been associated with negative effects in elderly people during later life. This article reviews and summarizes the influences of widowhood on the health, daily life, and social life of elderly people. The influences of widowhood on elderly people may vary by gender, spousal relationship, and cohort background. In order to provide nursing care as early as possible, nurses must cooperate with professionals from social-welfare and / or community-support systems to identify high-risk widowed elderly. When nurses assess the influences of widowhood on elderly people, they should consider the interactions among gender, spousal relationship, and cohort background. Furthermore, nurses may apply various strategies based on the needs of elderly people to improve the health and quality of life of patients. Suggestions include providing appropriate nursing care, offering positive social support, adjusting daily-life routines, and arranging activity programs based on care-recipient interests and resources.
