We Can Support Our Grieving Parent but We Can ’t Erase Their Pain

Photo credit Mosoianu Bogdan  Dear Carol: My dad, who had been Mom’s caregiver for years, died suddenly from a stroke. I can’t say that I’m surprised because he was under enormous stress trying to cope with first Mom’s illness from cancer treatments, and more recently her early stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Needless to say, we’re all heartbroken over Dad’s sudden death as well as up in the air about how to handle Mom. She seems to be in total denial, though some of her repeated questions may be due to occasional short-term memory loss. How do we help her with this shock and grief? – VB Read the full article on Inforum about how denial, as well as memory problems, can make a spouse's death hard to absorb: MedicareFAQ – Medicare Resource Center Support a caregiver or jump-start discussion in support groups with real stories - for bulk orders of Minding Our Elders e-mail Carol                  Related StoriesThe Stigma Of Dementia PersistsWhat's in a Name? When Dementia Erases Your Identity From Their MemoryTransitioning Care from Home to Memory Care Takes Thoughtful Organization 
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs