Losing loved ones is a very difficult time. It can lead seniors to develop various mental health issues such as deep depression. While the death of a spouse can happen to anyone, it happens with the elderly more often. As caregivers, it is your responsibility to provide support to seniors and accompany them as they traverse life without their spouses by helping them attend mental health counseling or providing support in many other ways. Here’s how you can help.
- Acknowledge their sadness.
It’s very important to acknowledge their sadness rather than just ignore it and not speak about it. For instance, in group therapy sessions, participants are encouraged to talk about their deceased loved ones and their feelings. It helps them feel that their sadness and grief are justified.
- Help them get the right help.
Getting the right help is important. Caregivers are not professionally trained to help them mentally, so seek qualified professional help. There are various types of mental health services they can avail such as in-home therapy if they prefer to stay home.
- Motivate them to maintain self-care.
As they grieve, they might forget to take care of themselves in the process. For home care services in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and caregivers, encouraging self-care is something that they always put importance on. Self-care helps them maintain some normalcy and keeping healthy helps them recover faster.
If you have patients or loved ones who have just recently lost their spouses, understand that there’s no such thing as grieving properly. Grief is different for everyone so always take time to understand and support them. If you need mental health services or adult foster care services in Massachusetts, contact Priority Professional Care now.