
Managing grief, especially after the loss of a loved one, is not something that everyone is just naturally able to do on their own. If you can find the right support network for yourself, you can ease your grief and learn to deal with it in productive ways.
Friends and Family Members
More friends and family members than you realize have experienced loss before and can help you to work through your feelings. Shutting them out or not allowing them to help you hurts both of you rather than helping. Work together with friends and family to help each other and you’ll be able to pull from everyone’s experience.
Religious Organizations
If you’re involved with a church or other religious organization, you might not realize that many have groups that exist simply to help people to manage their grief. Look into what types of groups and services your religious organization offers. Even if you’re not affiliated with a specific religious organization, many of their grief programs are open to everyone who needs help, so they’re worth researching.
Support Groups
One of the best reasons to start attending support group meetings at the beginning of your caregiving journey is that you develop relationships with other caregivers who are in similar situations as you are in. Over the course of your caregiving journey, these folks are able to participate in your successes and happy times as well as the times that are not so good. You can lean on each other.
Therapists and Counselors Trained to Assist with Grief
Finding a therapist or counselor trained to help you manage your grief doesn’t have to be difficult at all. In fact, some elder care providers can put you in touch with therapists you can work with during your loved one’s time in hospice care. This allows you to deal with anticipatory grief and put systems in place to help you manage grief once your loved one’s situation changes.
Your personal plan for managing your grief may change as you move through the various stages of grief. Allowing yourself to move freely through those stages can help you to deal with your feelings more efficiently.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Norristown, PA, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice today. Call (215) 867-5405.