Helping A Loved One Who Is Grieving
Effective and attentive personal care can come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it’s helping individuals suffering from loneliness or offering assistance to those who have had their mobility affected by a medical condition. Providing all encompassing personal care to in need individuals is what we do at Hands on Care. And we are very proud of it.
There are many reasons someone may be in need of attention and personal care. One such occasion might be when someone has undergone a recent loss in their life. Loss can affect all of us in different ways.
What exactly constitutes a loss can also seem quite complex and complicated. While many people identify a loss as being losing someone, be it a family member, partner or friend; a loss can actually be many other things. It could be the end of a relationship, the death of a pet or the end of a long standing living arrangement.
All of these can have a negative effect on an individual’s mental and physical health. While there are no set and proven techniques to relinquish the symptoms of loss, there are a few techniques you can enact in order to help someone who is grieving due to going through a loss.
Be A Good Listener
Someone who is grieving will have a lot of thoughts going through their mind. This mixture of thoughts and worries can manifest into dreadful feelings of anxiety. The feelings of anxiety might be quite hard to disperse, no matter how hard they try.
As such, you should adopt your very best listening skills. Being a good listener, and when we say a good listener, we mean actually listening, is one of the easiest ways to help someone cope with their anxieties. It really is surprising how much lending an ear can make someone feel wanted and accepted.
Try Not To Give Advice
It might be tempting to offer advice to someone who is grieving, however, this can be to your detriment. When you offer advice to someone who is grieving, it can sometimes come across as patronising or even antagonistic. Even if this was not your original intention.
Instead of offering advice, it is better to simply listen and to showcase empathy when you can.
Try To Help With Everyday Tasks
An individual who has undergone loss might see mundane tasks as a very difficult challenge. Simple tasks such as cleaning and doing the grocery shopping can seem like a momentous task to someone who is grieving. So offering a helping hand can be an effective way to lighten the load.
Helping out with everyday tasks is one of least mentioned forms of personal care. Here at Hands on Care, we offer help with everyday activities as part of our many personal and home care services.
Do Not Try To Explain The Situation To Them
Trying to explain the situation to an individual might seem like an easy way to help them dissect and process the trauma. But the chances are, this will not have the desired effect. The person grieving will only want to talk about the loss when they feel like it and they might not want to be reminded without any warning.
Try To Be Available When You Can
While it might be virtually impossible to be on call 24/7, making yourself available as much as possible and making it known to the person suffering a loss is extremely helpful. Knowing that they have easily accessible connections offers a brilliant peace of mind.
Accept Mood Swings Might Happen
Someone who is grieving may sometimes exhibit characteristics you would not usually associate with them. One such characteristics include sporadic mood swings. Sudden sharp changes in mood is not uncommon for someone who is grieving.
Instead of becoming confrontational if this does occur, you should try being understanding and accommodating to the circumstances.
We Provide High Quality Personal Care
At Hands on Care, we offer high quality personal care from Telford. We also service surrounding areas and we are one of the most recognised companies in the care sector. So, if you have a loved one who requires personal care, whether they have had a recent loss or not, please contact us.