Grief and Bereavement

Although we would wish otherwise, grief is a process and cannot be bypassed, hurried or rushed. We do not go through grief and come out the other side the same as we were before the loss. Grieving is a process and that process needs proper attention and care. HealthNow is here to help you grieve during the Hospice process. Your family member may be living their final days and that is a hard thing to take in. With HealthNow, we make sure the Hospice Patient’s and family members have all the care they need during this this difficult time. In this article, we will review different types of grieving and loss.

Symbolic Loss

Symbolic losses can hurt as much as a death or a loved ones passing, but they are focused on life events such as graduations, weddings, first steps, etc. Missing these or not realizing them can have an affect on an individual of grief. Unfortunately, this type of disenfranchised grief is misunderstood resulting in those who grieve without much support. It is important to acknowledge and validate their grief and empathize. Be supportive and do your part to help them heal and even reach out for help if you need to.

Actual Loss

When you lose a loved one, the pain you experience can feel unbearable. Your pain is unique to you, your relationship to the person you lost is unique. We sometimes wonder if the pain will ever end. It is acceptable for you to take the time you need and remove any expectation of how you should be performing as you process your grief. This type of loss happens either suddenly as a surprise to the family left behind or is planned through Hospice Care. With Hospice Care end of life planning you are able to say your final goodbyes, mending relationships, showing appreciation for your family and friends, and also ending everything with a positive note. HealthNow helps plan the final period of the patient so that the burden is removed from the family and patient.

The Stages of Grief

• Shock and disbelief: When you’re in denial about the loss, you try to convince yourself or others the event hasn’t happened or isn’t permanent. This initial stage may be dealt with on a “rational” level over a “feeling” level. This is the stage where many people are in at the time of the funeral.

• Anger: You may feel angry with yourself or with the person who left you and you might even find yourself irritated from minor inconveniences to a major setback. This nest stage can happen anytime even after going through a period of acceptance.

• Depression: Death of a loved one, breakup, or any other loss, those are situations that may cause depression but will soon pass naturally as you move toward acceptance. We desperately want everything to be the same as it was potentially triggering a depression.

• Acceptance: It takes time before we overcome the most severe emotional stress as a result of losing someone permanently. Though acceptance may bring peace, but this stage is never complete. Birthdays, holidays, and death anniversaries however remind you of how important that person was to you.

No specific timetable for the number of weeks or years to take for you get beyond your grief. How long it will take, it’s okay. As long as your patient with the process, you’ll get through it much more easily than rushing yourself. It may be difficult in finding something positive that’s happened following the loss, but you likely to make acceptance rather easier. You may be learning to be more independent and may have tried something you’d never have attempted if you were in the comfort of the relationship. Death is never a happy ending but it can be helpful to acknowledge the good things that came afterward. The HealthNow Hospice Team is here to help with your grieving and difficult times.