3 Ways to Help Seniors Deal with the Loss of a Spouse

April is Bereaved Spouses Month and Senior Living Experts wants to help you with losing a spouse. We can find you the options and care you need as you move on with your life.

Constant Caregivers who Become Bereaved Spouses

One of the hardest times of life is when one our partner's life begins to decline.If you're loved one has passed on after a long battle with diseases such as

• Dementia
• Cancer
• COPD
• Alzheimer's
• Debilitating Disease

you may have already begun the bereavement process without realizing.

Coping with the Loss of a Spouse

Something that many people don't understand as they deal with the lose of a parent, family member or friend is that the spouse of the person they lost may have already been dealing with their loss for a number of months or even years; having truly lost their loved one as they knew from the onset of deteriorating health..

The 3 R's of Losing a Spouse

1. Recover - You have to allow yourself to recover from the loss. Every person is different in how long this may take and there are no "rules" to recovery.
2. Reclaim - You have to reclaim who YOU are. After so many years of being "us" you may have difficulty in finding yourself again. This too takes time and has no specific time that tells you how long it should take to start finding yourself again.
3. Rebuild - Once you've accomplished the above it's time to begin rebuilding your life, your social network and your purpose. This is the longest and, eventually, the most exciting part.

Rebuilding Your Life as a Bereaved Spouse

One of the most important things to remember is that there is no time-line in recovering from the death of a spouse. Everything should be done on your own timeline; at your own pace.

• Friendships - You may find that couples and friends you've had when married are less likely to call or stop in to visit. This is often because they may not know what to say or how to act. New friendships will be built and true friendships will return to normal, slowly.
• Relatives - Relatives may seem as though they're butting into your business. You can speak up and draw lines to show your family what you do and don't want as you move through the bereavement process.
• Activities - Start new activities, enjoy new things and begin to rebuild your own special times (sometimes even alone). Everyone is different when it comes to handling being alone; so it's okay to move slowly and even search for a friend, relative or new group that allows you to be you.

It's not easy for those starting life over without a spouse; however, there are online support groups that can help. Let us help you determine your next step with expert guidance that includes bereaved spouses becoming fully alive again.Cited Works:YWBB - an online "young widows blog" that has now closed

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