When The Holidays Bring Grief To Your Senior
Anniversaries of a loved one’s death can be really tough for many people, especially when they fall during the holidays. And if your senior parent is receiving their elderly care at home where they spent time with their lost loved one, it can be even more emotionally difficult to handle as the holidays often evoke memories of happy times spent with family that we love.
Elder Care in Lake Forest IL: Senior Holiday Grief
If the holidays seem to increase the grief or depression of your senior parent or loved one receiving elderly care at home, there are some ways that you can help them through this difficult and sometimes uncomfortable time.
Listen
One of the most simple things that you can do during this time is to listen to your senior loved one. Some surviving family members like to talk or reminisce about the people who they have lost. If you find that your senior is wanting to talk about their lost loved one, be an ear to listen and offer them companionship so that they know that they are not alone and that you are there for them during this tough time.
Find Support
Your senior may find comfort in a support group where other people have a safe place to talk about common issues that arise during times of grief. Sometimes it helps to know that there are other people that have similar thoughts and feelings and can understand exactly what your senior is going through.
Offer A Tribute
Your senior may want to offer some sort of a tribute to their lost loved one this holiday season, especially if this is the first one without them. Putting their picture out during the holiday gathering, or offering up a prayer before the family meal may mean a lot to them. Be sure to ask permission before making a special tribute or another offering in memory of the loved one they have lost, or ask them what else might make the holidays a little easier on them.
Ask Them What They Need
Visiting their loved one’s gravesite, watching old family movies or looking at photos, or making a special meal that reminds them of their past might be something special to your senior during this time of grief. Everyone tends to grieve in different ways and you never know what your senior may want to do, or what they don’t want to do during the time that they are thinking of and grieving for their lost loved one.
To avoid doing anything that may upset them, it might help to let them know that you would like to be sensitive to their feelings but also to help them by asking them what you can do to help them grieve or honor the loved one that they miss so much this time of year.
Helpful tip: If you suspect that your senior’s grief may be a form of depression, be sure to talk to their health care professional as soon as possible to get them the help that they need.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Lake Forest, 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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