How Do You Help One Parent Cope With The Death Of The Other?
Loosing a spouse to death is the hardest thing that most of us will ever face. When the surviving spouse is elderly, this loss is even harder. As an adult child there are some things you can do to help one parent to cope with the death of the other. Acknowledge the fear that your parent is feeling and encourage her to talk about it. If she has been with her husband for many years, her loss is compounded by her fear for her own survival and ability to cope. She is probably not sure that she can live without her husband and what will happen to her from here. Help to find solutions to the problems your parent is facing. If your father can not live on his own after the loss of your mother, find an alternative living situation for him. If grocery shopping and doctors appointments are impossible because of lack of transportation, help to make those things still happen. Encourage your parent to make her own decisions. Assuming she is still mentally capable of deciding what she wants, allow he
