Julie Miller: Grieving is even tricker during the holidays

The holiday season can be an especially hard time for families when a loved one is facing serious life-limiting illness. November marks National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. For many, especially families suffering the loss of a loved one, the holidays can be a challenge.

Whether it’s through hosted support events, group counseling sessions or one-on-one home visits and calls, it’s important to talk about grief and how it follows families all the way from diagnosis to years after death. The pandemic has further isolated those suffering, limiting their outlets for connection and making them feel more alone than ever. To combat this “holiday heartache” here are some pieces of advice for those coping.

For the griever:

• Have an “out” during holiday festivities. Allow yourself to take the emotional space to decompress somewhere. Talk to whoever the host might be and establish a code word so you can leave without question.
• Plan holiday celebrations earlier or later in the month or year.
• Recognize that the holidays may feel different now but it won’t be like this forever.

For the supporter:

• Acknowledge their pain and show them you care. Don’t wait for them to reach out to you. Call!
• Consistently check in. Be a source of connection and continue to include and invite them to things.
• Take away life’s small stressors by offering your help, whether that’s in the form of meals, rides, or whatever might make their day-to-day life easier.

If you or a loved one is nearing the end of life or considering end-of-life care options, know that you do not have to do this alone.

To locate a hospice program that meets your needs, discuss with your doctors or nurses. To learn more about hospice and palliative care, visit bannerhealth.com.

Julie Miller, Greeley