
Losing someone that you love and that you’ve been taking care of is devastating. You may not be sure how you can go on after that kind of loss.
Prepare as Much as You Can
You’ll experience some anticipatory grief before your elderly family member passes away, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve found a shortcut to the grieving process. You’re still going to experience some profound feelings of loss that you’ll need to work through. Many hospice care programs offer family members assistance in dealing with these emotions in a way that is healthy and that allows you to grieve the way that you are most comfortable doing so.
Stay Connected with Friends and Family
Cutting yourself off from friends and family may seem like a way to cope, but you need as much support as you can get at this time. Let them know what you’re dealing with and be open to what they’re feeling, too. You never know how much you can help someone else just by sharing what you’re experiencing. It’s natural for your friends and family to help you through your grief as you help them through theirs.
Rely on Support Groups
Support groups, particularly ones designed for caregivers, can help you tremendously as you strive to deal with your senior’s loss. If you’ve attended a particular support group meeting for a long time, they may have gotten to know your elderly family member through you and your stories. They know extremely well what you’re experiencing and may be able to show you the way through to the other side.
Talk to Your Own Doctor
Grief certainly affects you on a level, particularly if you’re spending quite a bit of time crying or your appetite is off. But there are other illnesses and ailments that grief contributes to and ignoring those signs is not a solid long-term plan for your own health. Make sure that you talk with your own doctor about anything that is different for you physically and emotionally as you grieve. Some of it may be symptoms you don’t need to be concerned about but others may have bigger impacts that you need to address.
You may need more support than this, which is not something to be worried about at all. Having a variety of sources of assistance can help you to get exactly what you need precisely when you need it the most. Look for a counselor or therapist you can talk to and consider lining up additional support for other family members, too.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hospice care in Philadelphia, PA, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice today. Call (215) 867-5405.