5 Ways to Cope with Mom’s Pending Mortality
If someone you love has recently been diagnosed with a critical illness, it can be a challenge to offer support without breaking down; however, it’s crucial that you cope with your own grief in your own way separately, so that you can be there for your senior. It’s your job to help them deal with the emotions that come with knowing that their life is about to be taken away, without making their situation seem more hopeless; and you can accomplish this by following these 12 ways to provide support to a senior coping with a critical illness:
1) Accept your loved ones negative emotions and lend a supportive ear, but don’t agree with the things they’re saying
2) Ask your senior how he/she is feeling on a regular basis and encourage conversation
3) Be honest; don’t give them false hope, but don’t sugar coat things either. They should be able to rely on you for straight answers
4) Focus on the positive and encourage your senior to do the same
5) Don’t give pity, but do give empathy
6) Don’t allow your loved one to become isolated, keep them in the loop about other friends and family members
7) Understand that everyone deals with emotions differently
8) Seniors might repeat the same stories, but listen and provide support every time
9) Make sure your support is physically available – visit often, call or send emails/letters
10) Understand that sometimes your loved one will need privacy, physically and emotionally
11) Know that a critical illness can effect the mind and soul as well as the body
12) Don’t underestimate the power of physical touch
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