Four Ways to Manage Grief as You Near the End of Caregiving
You’ve put a lot of time and energy into caregiving and as your senior’s life nears its end, all of that can come crashing down around you. There are a lot of ways grief can become present for you, so it’s important that you manage it properly in the time that you have left with your elderly family member.

Home Care in Northfield IL: Caregiver Grief Management
Get Real about What You’re Feeling
You’re going to be experiencing a wide range of emotions as your senior nears the end of her life. Grief itself is a complex mix of emotions full of anger, sadness, and so much more. You might even feel a bit of relief that your senior’s suffering is nearing its end. All of these are your feelings. They’re not about your senior. And the more realistic you are about what you’re feeling, the easier it’s going to be to cope with them.
Your Feelings Are Valid
What you’re feeling is perfectly valid. That can take some getting used to, even for the most open-minded caregivers. It’s hard to acknowledge that feeling angry is valid, especially when it comes to anything to do with your senior. Shaming yourself for your feelings is not going to help you and it definitely won’t help your elderly family member.
Practice Forgiveness
There’s a lot that you might need to forgive at this point. You may need to forgive your own feelings, your actions, and situations you wish you’d handled differently. You might need to forgive your senior or even other family members. Life is full of situations that bring pain and harsh feelings. The best response is to try to work through those experiences and come to a place of overall forgiveness.
Take Care of You
The best thing you can do for your senior right now is to make sure that you’re taking care of your own needs as well as hers. This is an emotionally charged time and it’s easy to overlook important details. Take some time away from caregiving, too. When you’re too close to the situation, it becomes more difficult. Home care services can be the bridge you need to having time to really assess how you’re feeling.
Use the tools that help you the most to deal with your feelings at this painful time. That might mean spending time journaling, meditating, or even in talk therapy. Whatever works for you is an important asset right now.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Northfield, IL, call the caring staff at LifeCare Home Health & In-Home Services. Call (888) 606-4199 LifeCare serves all of the Chicago Metro Area.
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