Few things in life are more difficult than losing one’s life partner. It can be difficult to know how to help your grieving senior cope with that loss and move on to the next stage of their life. Use this guide to help your loved one navigate the rough waters ahead.
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Work with a Mental Health Professional
Many of those from older generations are quick to dismiss mental health interventions but can greatly benefit from professional help when something as serious as the death of a spouse occurs. According to Better Help, grief counseling is a form of therapy specifically designed to address the needs of someone dealing with loss. In addition to one-on-one therapy that can help an individual navigate the seven stages of grief, there are also grief support groups available in most cities that can be an excellent place to connect with others going through similar life events and help support each other through difficult times.
Focus on Physical Wellness
When suffering from grief, it’s easy to let one’s own physical health fall to the wayside. For seniors, though, this can be especially dangerous since many of them require daily health interventions such as medicine that must be administered at specific times throughout the day. If your senior is intending to continue living on their own, investing in an automatic pill dispenser can help eliminate issues with forgetting and dosage.
Prioritize Socialization
For many seniors, the loss of a spouse means the loss of not only their primary source of socialization but can also extend to other areas if activities they have traditionally participated in alongside their spouse are no longer accessible or appealing to them alone. If they’d like to make new friends, checking with their local senior center can help connect them to available groups and clubs in the area that might interest them.
If they haven’t been in contact with old friends for a while, they may be able to find them using social media or a search engine. If they’re looking for classmates they graduated with, for example, they can simply type in the name, school and graduation year and a number of options will populate.
Consider a Move to Senior Living
Leaving the home they shared with their deceased spouse can feel overwhelming to a person, and any suggestion of a move might be received with vehement objections. Once the initial emotions have passed, though, you may be able to help them see the benefits to such a transition.
Assisted living communities and nursing home facilities allow their inhabitants to skip the daily duties of life such as cleaning, cooking and yard work. This can greatly boost a person’s quality of life, especially for seniors who may find these chores sap all of their energy or cause physical distress. Socializing is also easy when you live with other people your age and have regularly scheduled activities available for you to attend and participate in.
Before proposing such a move, do your research. Learn what you can about available facilities, including pricing and payment options. Speak with other families who have loved ones there or residents themselves. The more information you have to share with your loved one, the more confident they will be able to feel in understanding their options.
Learning to live without the love of their life is bound to be difficult for your senior. With the right steps, though, you can help lead them through these difficult times and start them down the path to healing, happiness and health. Consider senior living, help them stay healthy and social, and have them work with a mental health professional.