Final answer:
The Acute Grief stage is the immediate reaction to the death of a spouse, involving intense emotional responses as described in Kübler-Ross's model of grief, which follows the order of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The stage of adjusting to widowhood that relates to the immediate reaction to the death of a spouse, including shock, pain of loss, grief, and reality testing, is D) Acute Grief. This stage aligns with the first reactions observed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, which are often characterized by denial. In this stage, the reality of losing a spouse is intense and may evoke a series of emotional responses before one enters other stages of grief, such as anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.
As per the five-stage model of grief proposed by Kübler-Ross, the correct order of the stages is C) denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. It is crucial to recognize that each individual may experience these stages differently and not everyone goes through all of them. Hospice care comes into play to provide support during these stages, especially towards the end of life, offering a compassionate approach to dying.