National Grief Awareness Week
When a person you care about has received a diagnosis of a progressive condition such as dementia, it takes time to come to terms with what this means for you and your loved one. Thinking about what the future holds can be extremely difficult.
Despite preparing yourself, when the person eventually passes away, it can come as a shock, and there are many confusing emotions people experience at this time.Some people feel that it is a release for the individual and they are comforted by the fact they are no longer suffering, others wish they had one more day. However you may feel, both reactions are perfectly normal and understandable.
At The Good Care Group we can provide specialised bereavement support from our team of in-house experts, including Dr. Jane Pritchard, our very own Admiral Nurse.
Jane describes her approach to providing bereavement support:
“As an Admiral Nurse, I listen carefully and empathetically to how people are feeling, and remain alongside them at the most difficult of times. The support that I provide can help people to understand that their feelings are normal, and that it does not mean that they love the person any less. It can also encourage them to open up and discuss their thoughts and emotions, as not everyone is comfortable approaching friends, or family members.
Confiding in someone can bring a sense of relief for many people, and prevents loneliness. That is why receiving bereavement support can be beneficial for approaching difficult conversations and answering any questions that the individual has.
If you are currently going through a loss of a loved one, Dementia UK has helpful resources that can be found online.”
Bereavement support tips
If you have a friend or loved one that is currently going through a bereavement, charity CRUSE have shared some tips on how to support them:
- Be patient: people process their grief at different rates and in different ways, some individuals may feel angry, upset and tearful
- Show your concern: let the person know that you are thinking of them
- Be supportive: tell the person that you are there if they want to talk
- Listen to their concerns: this will make them not feel like a burden
- Check in: see how they are doing as this can vary from day-to-day
- Offer help: this could involve supporting them with cooking and being there for funeral arrangements
- Counselling services: this can be arranged via a GP, or from CRUSE. Dementia UK also has a free hotline where they can talk about grief with an Admiral Nurse
Find out more about the National Grief Awareness Week campaign here.
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