Grief

Is It Normal to Grieve Before Someone Dies?

Nearly everyone involved in caring for an ill or aging loved one is experiencing some degree of grief. However, we don’t usually identify the...

Hospice Care: Help During End Stages of Life

…We knew Dad was wearing down. He didn’t have long to live, but did he have to be in such discomfort? I wanted him...

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When Your Loved One Rallies Before Death

Family members are often relieved and hopeful when a dying loved one suddenly becomes more aware of their surroundings or begins talking or eating...

An extreme closeup of a the lower portion of a feminine face and black clad shoulder is all we see. We can see a portion of the ear and lower eye, half the nose, and half of the mouth that wears rose lipstick. Quiet tears stream down the cheek.

How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving

Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve every mental...

This indoor image shows a woman with long brown hair streaked with gray. She has she holds hands up cupping her face in grief. Her vace is completely hidden

Life As a Caregiver: How to Make Tough Care Decisions

Many of us feel honored to provide care for our aging parents or ill spouses, but this honor can also present serious challenges. Even...

This indoor image shows an open door in the background with a large plant barely in view. In the foreground is a young mane with dark hair and a beard and wearing a white short-sleeved shirt standing over an older man feeling his forehead. The older man is Black. He has gray hair and is lying in bed. We see his pajama-clad arm laying on top of the white sheet.

Breaking the News That a Loved One is Going on Hospice Care

When the paperwork was finally signed to get hospice care for my dad, I was grateful. There would now be a routine of care...

Confused About Palliative Care Vs. Hospice Care? You Aren’t Alone

Dear Carol: My mom has advanced lung disease as well as late-stage Alzheimer’s. We know that there are no cures for either of her current...

This image has a black background. In the foreground we see a close up of an oval-shaped female face that seems to be floating due to the dark clothing below. She has her hand raised and slightly cupped along the side of her face. Her expression is sober, her eyes tilted downward.

Relief Mixed with Grief Normal After a Suffering Loved One’s Death

Dear Carol: My mom died after five years of living with dementia symptoms along with decades of pain from rheumatoid arthritis. Her death has...

This image has a cloudy, rainy background. We see a woman with bobbed gray hair from the back. Her gray-clad shoulders are bent forward in grief..

Grief: The Way to Continue On Is to Work Through It

Dr. Gail Gross, Ph.D., doctor of education, is a nationally recognized family, child development, and human behavior expert, author, and educator. She has contributed...

This closeup image shows a young woman with light blonde hair. fair skin, and blue eyes. Her hair is cut into a short bob with long front hair over one eye. She's looking to the side so what we see of her face if sad with a slightly reddened nose.

The Emotional Impact of Losing a Loved One to Dementia

“Carol!” The hospice nurse’s voice was quiet but urgent. I instinctively knew what was happening. She had been shifting Dad’s position so that he...