17 Mar 5 ways to help someone who is grieving

Hospice NZ has created a range of 5 ways resources as part of the #weneedtotalkaboutdying campaign.

Often it is hard to know the right words in situations that we don’t come face to face with everyday.  These resources are based on our hospices experiences of caring for people who are dying.

5 ways to help someone who is grieving

• Grief belongs to the griever –everyone experiences grief differently, so follow their lead. Understand that there are good and bad moments, and these will go on.
• Take care with giving advice and try to avoid comparisons with the past or future – try not to tell them how lucky they were, that they’ll love again, that it’ll be better later.
• Anticipate, don’t ask – don’t say ‘call me if you need anything’. Say ‘I’ll bring dinner tonight’ or ‘I’ll pick up the kids / walk your dog” or other recurring day-to-day tasks.
• Don’t try to fix the unfixable – you can’t take their pain away.
• Love them!

Please feel free to read and share.  It might come in handy for you or someone you know.