Rebuilding a Routine After the Death of a Spouse
The death of a spouse is devastating. It's heartbreaking and bewildering; plus, in the aftermath, it impacts the surviving spouse's daily sense of routine and purpose. Losing the person to whom everyday life is anchored is complex for the spouse trying to pick up the pieces and move forward. Seniors face unique challenges as they endeavor to rebuild their lives and routines after a spouse's death.
It isn't easy to find both the energy to grieve and to start a new chapter. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) explains: "When your spouse dies, your world changes. You may feel numb, shocked, and fearful. You may feel guilty for being the one who is still alive. When you grieve, you can feel both physical and emotional pain." The NIA points out that the grief that comes with the loss of the spouse can cue other challenges like disrupted sleep, the inability to concentrate and make decisions, and a loss of appetite. These can make it hard to remain healthy while weathering the grief.
Adhering to a new routine is essential during this tender time. It aids the healing, but it's hard to build a healthy routine alone. If you're trying to help a parent or a family member resume a normal life, it can leave you feeling worried about his or her wellness and options.
Visiting Angels of Crystal Lake can help your loved one rebuild their routine after the loss of a spouse. We can help secure the basics of a new routine, a basis, to help with some of the challenges that come along with this fragile time. Here's how we can help.
Building a Healthy Routine
Recovering from a loss is hard work. It takes time and energy. It is especially heartbreaking when a senior loses the partner they spent their life with and planned to grow old alongside.
Visiting Angels of Crystal Lake caregivers understand this. They have a heart for caring for seniors, and they can help with this transition in their token warm, empathetic way. A caregiver that your family meets and selects will come and help ensure that your loved one's basic needs are met while they adjust to this new reality.
Cooking healthy meals, taking care of light housework, keeping up with laundry, and running errands like grocery shopping ensure that healthy living basics will not escape your loved one while they are adjusting. Visiting Angels of Crystal Lake caregivers will also provide reliable rides to doctor's appointments, support group meetings, or therapy visits.
It is important to have a reliable support system during such a difficult time of transition to ensure that the routine of healthy living will continue, even if your loved one encounters a particularly challenging chapter in the grieving process. Rebuilding a new routine helps, but no one can do it alone. Tag friends, family, and a professional to help your loved one keep moving forward during the transition.
Customized Care
Visiting Angels of Crystal Lake caregivers bring peace of mind. They address their clients' current needs, and we adjust our services as those needs change. Families regularly receive updates and have opportunities to provide input. If a caregiver notices that a client seems to be struggling, emotionally or physically, the caregiver will notify our office and then we will notify the client's family. The family can then make a call to increase services if needed. Your loved one may not be able to foresee what kind of care they may need while adjusting to the new demands of life after a spouse's death. Visiting Angels of Crystal Lake caregivers can customize care as that recovery occurs while working with the family to ensure their comfort with the care provided.
Grieving and recovery take time. We can help. Contact us online to learn more or call us at 815-479-0312. We can help the seniors in your life build happy, healthy routines which create peace of mind for the whole family.