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Coping with Grief

Posted: 3/9/2013 9:00 AM by Interim HealthCare

Grieving over the loss of a loved one is a highly personal process that can take months or years. How long you grieve depends on many things, including your relationship with the person, if the person’s death was expected or sudden, and many other factors. There is no one way to handle the loss of a loved one. Each journey through grief to healing is a personal one.
 
Bereavement and grief can be experienced both physically and mentally. Physical reactions can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, physical problems or illness. Mental reactions can include anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness and despair.
 
Interim HealthCare is aware of the personal nature of the bereavement process, which is why it is an integral part of our hospice program. Our bereavement programs focus on anticipating grief reactions and providing ongoing support for the bereaved for 13 months.
 
Included in Interim’s program is assistance for family members to help them understand and move forward in their grieving process. This can be done by facilitating the expression of their thoughts and feelings about the loss of their loved one, followed by helping them identify, develop and utilize healthy coping strategies for those emotions. Other areas that family members may need help with include guidance with decision making and adjustment issues. In addition, survivors may also have social and spiritual concerns about their loved one’s death.
 
During the bereavement process, family members will find themselves:
  • Accepting the reality of the loss
  • Working through the pain of grief
  • Adjusting to an environment where the deceased is missing
  • Emotionally relocating the deceased and moving on with life
As you grieve, the goal is to create or strengthen your relationships with other people, as well as with other activities and places. Don’t view these new connections as replacements for your lost loved one, rather they are meant to provide additional support as you enter into another phase of your life.